Britney Spears has firmly responded to unsettling claims made by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, concerning her conduct during their sons’ earlier years. Federline’s assertions, which include a particularly unnerving account of Spears allegedly standing outside their children’s bedrooms with a knife, have sparked significant controversy.

These allegations are set to appear in Federline’s forthcoming memoir, You Thought You Knew, as reported by The New York Times. In the book, Federline describes unnerving instances where their sons awoke to find Spears silently watching them, knife in hand, before she quietly retreated without explanation. Such episodes, Federline claims, left their sons, Sean Preston, now 20, and Jayden James, 19, hesitant to spend nights at Spears’ residence following their parents’ 2007 separation.

Spears’ representatives have categorically denied these allegations. In a statement to Us Weekly, a spokesperson criticized Federline for profiting from Spears’ life, particularly after the cessation of child support. “Britney’s primary concern is the well-being of her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, amidst this sensationalism,” the spokesperson asserted.

Although Spears’ team has refrained from making additional comments to In Touch, the publication has reached out for further clarification in light of the memoir’s explosive claims.

Britney’s team has not issued further comment to In Touch, who reached out following the bombshell excerpts.

Federline’s memoir also recounts the tumultuous period in early 2007, when Britney famously refused to hand over their sons during a custody dispute. That incident led to her being placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold at a hospital. “It was one of the hardest nights of my life,” he wrote. “I felt sick over what she was going through. This was someone I had loved. Someone I had built a life with. The mother of my children.”

Weeks later, Britney was placed on a second psychiatric hold, which triggered the start of her 13-year conservatorship and led to Federline being granted primary custody of their children.

Federline, who says he hasn’t spoken to Britney in “years,” also expressed doubts about the termination of her conservatorship in 2021. “It’s become impossible to pretend everything’s OK,” he wrote. “From where I sit, the clock is ticking, and we’re getting close to the 11th hour. Something bad is going to happen if things don’t change, and my biggest fear is that our sons will be left holding the pieces.”

He even called on the #FreeBritney supporters to change their tune. “I urge all the people who fought so hard for the ‘Free Britney’ movement to now put the same energy into the ‘Save Britney’ movement. Because this is no longer about freedom. It’s about survival.”

Despite their strained relationship, Britney has shared heartfelt glimpses of her love for her sons on social media. Earlier this year, she reposted a video of one of her sons playing piano, writing, “Reposting because it’s a far better edit and excuse me crying and breathing hard !!! I was excited !!! Mamas don’t get enough credit at all these days !!! I mean just saying !!! I made a person !!! A live breathing person and I made two of them !!! And my boys are so incredibly sweet and charming !!! I’m so blessed.”