Britney Spears Rebuilding Bridges with Sons After Years of Estrangement
In an open Instagram message Britney Spears posted on August 24, the singer spoke candidly about the emotional toll of being temporarily separated from her children, Sean Preston, 19, and Jayden James, 18. “The most difficult years of my life were the three years my two sons were absent. I was blocked from making calls or sending texts… my coping mechanism was denial and a multitude of tears,” the pop icon stated, observing that her brief marriage to Sam Asghari “felt almost like a superficial diversion to help me deal with it.”
Over the past few months, Spears, 43, has been gradually reconstructing her relationships with Preston and Jayden. The boys relocated to Hawaii with their father, Kevin Federline, in August 2023. As Us Weekly previously reported, Jayden initiated contact with his mother in late 2024 after years of minimal communication. An insider informs Us that he resided at Spears’ L.A. home between January and April, a period during which they achieved substantial progress. (He is currently living back in L.A., dividing his time between his mom’s place and a friend’s residence.)
Currently, the source indicates Spears and her sons are “healing alongside each other,” adding, “the boys are maturing and they desire their mom in their lives, and Britney is truly delighted about that. She is immensely thankful to have them in her life. She feels complete once more.” A second source further notes: “They have turned a new page regarding their relationship.”
There was noticeable tension between Spears and her sons when they chose not to attend her wedding to Asghari in June 2022. Jayden spoke to the Daily Mail for an interview aired on ITV soon after, stating that while they were pleased for their mom, “it simply wasn’t an opportune time to go,” mentioning that she had ignored Preston’s request not to share his photos and that he was “hoping” she would stop posting attention-grabbing content. In response, Spears authored an Instagram post, later deleted, expressing her “deep” sadness to learn she “did not meet” Jayden’s “expectations of a mother.”
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By that June, however, there were indications of improvement, with Federline’s lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan revealing the boys had called their mom for Mother’s Day from Hawaii and that “the phone call was a positive sign and a step in the right direction.”
Jayden has been leading the initiative to reconnect. “He always understood they would eventually find their way back to each other, but he’s grateful it occurred sooner rather than later,” says a third source. “Britney and Jayden have maintained a close bond since his early childhood, so slowly re-entering their familiar rhythm has felt special and therapeutic for both of them.”
While staying with Spears, they dedicated significant quality time at her
$7 million Thousand Oaks, California, estate. “Britney and Jayden watched films, prepared meals, collaborated on music, and played board games,” says the first source. In June, she uploaded an endearing video to Instagram showing Jayden driving while she filmed him and ran her fingers through his hair. “Even with their tumultuous past, it wasn’t awkward,” adds the third source. “They effortlessly settled back into their routine like in earlier times.”
Preston is proceeding at a more deliberate pace. The first source states he visited L.A. twice during Jayden’s stay. “[He and Britney are] slowly cultivating greater trust. Britney respects his wishes and is being very considerate of his [sentiments],” says the source, adding, “they are focusing on communicating without judging one another. Britney is genuinely listening now… Rather than assuming her traditional parental role, she is showing humility. What is most crucial is for them to have a sound relationship.”
He and his younger brother have “processed” their past experiences with their mom distinctly, the source explains. “They have both endured different challenges with Britney. Jayden’s healing journey has advanced a little further than Preston’s.” The third source adds: “He still holds conflicting emotions, but witnessing Jayden reunite with Britney has instilled in him hope for their own future.”
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The primary source indicates Preston has been more forthcoming in articulating his opinions to Spears. “Preston has pardoned Britney for her more revealing social media images, and he made it explicit to her that he wished for it to cease,” the source explains. (On August 28, she uploaded a picture of her bare backside with a rose emoji partially covering her butt; on September 1, she shared a video where she dances to Cardi B in a sheer bodysuit with a flower emoji obscuring her nipples.) This remains an ongoing process. “Preston and Jayden struggled to find calm [around Britney],” the source adds, “so she has been adjusting her behavior and demeanor towards them.”
Jayden is endeavoring to assist his brother in reconciling with their mother. “Jayden understands Preston’s relationship with [Britney] has been more inconsistent, so he attempts to support Preston in any way he can — even by doing something as straightforward as getting them on the phone [together],” says the third source. The second source states Jayden has been “instrumental” in Preston’s increased efforts to reconnect with Spears over the last six months and “convinced him” that repairing their connection was a beneficial idea.
Spears is thankful for a second chance with the boys. “Rebuilding her relationship with her sons is her top priority at this moment,” says the second source, adding that she “brightens up” when discussing her children. “[Jayden and Preston] both still possess reservations, but it has improved after spending time with her.” The first source adds, “The boys recognize Britney loves them immensely, and [that they are] the first thought on her mind in the morning and the last thought at night.”
Like numerous parents and their adolescents, Spears and her sons do not maintain constant communication. Jayden and Spears converse every few days; Preston speaks to her two or three times monthly, says the first source. “Britney contacts Preston more often than he contacts her. However, they all initiate communication at their discretion. They communicate via phone calls, FaceTime, and text messages.”
Despite their complex history with their mom — and a childhood spent under public scrutiny — the boys are well-adjusted. “Considering they are the offspring of one of the world’s most renowned individuals, Preston and Jayden are quite ordinary. They do not associate with other celebrity children and never sought the spotlight,” says the third source. The first source notes the siblings are “closest companions, and are always ensuring each other’s well-being,” and that Federline, 47, “desires for the boys to have a relationship” with Spears.
The former spouses “communicate solely regarding matters concerning the boys,” adds the first source, who notes that Spears and Federline both offer strong support for all their children’s ambitions. Similar to their mother, both Jayden and Preston are musically inclined; Jayden is a pianist and produces music — Spears hailed him as a “genius” in a March Instagram post featuring him playing the piano — and Preston is also a musician interested in show production, though the first source says it is “not his primary focus.”
In early August, Spears (who was most recently romantically linked to her former housekeeper Paul Richard Soliz) announced in an Instagram post that she is working on two fiction novels. (An insider told Us late last year that the pop star, who released her memoir The Woman in Me in 2023, is not rushing into any professional commitments.) A fourth source indicates she is concentrating on her new jewelry line, B Tiny, and a new fragrance after securing a perfume deal with the company Give Back Beauty last year.
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The primary source states she is contemplating a future relocation. “Britney sometimes wishes to return to Louisiana to escape the intense scrutiny and simply be herself and have a place where the boys can also feel secure. She contends with a great deal of negativity in L.A., and she occasionally needs to escape past memories for her mental well-being.” Should she remain in the city, the source says Spears would still be seeking a change of environment. “There are many difficult memories in her house, and she is considering moving to another home in L.A. It signifies almost a chapter-closing kind of move.”
The second source mentions Spears continues to experience highs and lows. “Britney has been in a positive mental state, but each day brings different challenges. She has difficult days reflecting on her past and all the trauma she has endured, and she does experience loneliness.” Spears has been dedicating considerable time to Mexico (in an August 6 Instagram post, she mentioned having been “back and forth” between Miami and Mexico). “It’s her happy place,” the second source says, explaining that the singer views Mexico as a second home. “She feels she can go there and be free. It has contributed significantly to her recovery.”
Re-establishing contact with Preston and Jayden has provided a substantial boost. “It has given her a renewed sense of purpose,” the second source says, adding that Spears’ friends observe her increased calmness and grounded demeanor. (In her now-removed August 24 Instagram post, she noted that her appetite had returned: “I recognize my healing because I feel hungry once more, like a child or infant,” she penned.)
The third source further shared: “Preston and Jayden do occasionally experience worry regarding their mother. They are cognizant of her past and current struggles, and they desire her optimal well-being, understanding that maintaining a connection with her will be beneficial. She exhibits considerably greater contentment with them present in her life. This is evident to any observer.”
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