Kevin Federline, the ex-husband of pop superstar Britney Spears, is preparing to release a memoir titled You Thought You Knew, which contains explosive allegations about Spears’s behavior during their sons’ childhood. Among the most disturbing claims is that Spears would silently stand outside their sons’ rooms at night holding a knife, an accusation that has drawn a strong denial from Spears’s representatives.

According to excerpts from the memoir, Federline, 47, alleges that their sons, Sean Preston, now 20, and Jayden James, now 19, would sometimes awaken to find Spears silently watching them sleep, asking, “Oh, you’re awake?” with a knife in her hand, before quietly leaving without explanation. Federline claims these incidents instilled fear in their sons, making them reluctant to stay at Spears’s home following the couple’s 2007 divorce.

The memoir also delves into the tumultuous period in early 2007, recalling a pivotal custody dispute during which Spears famously refused to hand over their children. This incident escalated to her being placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold at a hospital. Federline described that time as “one of the hardest nights of my life,” expressing profound sadness for what Spears was enduring, given their shared history and children.

Weeks after the initial psychiatric hold, Spears was placed on a second one, an event that marked the beginning of her 13-year conservatorship. Consequently, Federline was granted primary custody of their children. Federline, who states he has not communicated with Spears in “years,” also voices significant doubts about the termination of her conservatorship in 2021.

Expressing deep concern for Spears’s current state, Federline writes, “It’s become impossible to pretend everything’s OK,” and warns that “something bad is going to happen if things don’t change.” He fears their sons will be left to “hold the pieces.” He has even called upon supporters of the #FreeBritney movement to pivot their efforts towards a “Save Britney” movement, asserting that the issue is now about “survival” rather than just freedom.

In response to the breaking news from Federline’s book, a representative for Britney Spears strongly refuted the claims, telling Us Weekly that Federline and others are once again profiting off her, especially now that child support payments have concluded. The representative emphasized that Spears’s sole focus remains on the well-being of her children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, amidst this “sensationalism.”

Despite the ongoing legal and personal tensions, Britney Spears has publicly shared heartfelt moments of love for her sons. Earlier this year, she reposted a video of one of her sons playing piano, expressing immense pride and love, writing, “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.”