Kevin Federline’s tell-all memoir, You Thought You Knew, reportedly sent Britney Spears into a “downhill” spiral that ultimately led to her DUI arrest on Wednesday.
“But the truth is, this has been building for a while,” a source close to the pop star told Page Six after she was taken into custody. “Her behavior has become increasingly unpredictable in recent months. One moment she seems fine, and the next she’s not.”
The insider added, “It was Kevin’s book that really pushed her over the edge, and things have gone downhill since then. It had a deep emotional impact on her.”
Kevin Federline’s October 2025 memoir, pictured here, reportedly sent Britney Spears into a “downhill” spiral that led to her DUI arrest.
“It was the Kevin book that really pushed her over the edge, and things have been downhill since then,” a source close to the pop star — pictured here with Federline in 2006 — told Page Six.
The source also claimed Spears “feels like she gave Kevin everything he wanted over the years” and “paid him so much money,” yet believes he still “exploited her” with his memoir.
“He used her; he wanted to ruin her,” the insider alleged. “And that was a really hard pill for her to swallow. It absolutely devastated her to think someone would want to damage her like that.”
Spears, 44, was arrested for driving under the influence after authorities allegedly spotted her swerving her BMW in and out of traffic on Wednesday.
Page Six confirmed that the “Oops! … I Did It Again” singer was handcuffed by the California Highway Patrol in Ventura County, Calif., at approximately 9:28 p.m. local time and later booked at 3:02 a.m.
The “Toxic” singer (seen here driving in October 2025) was reportedly spotted swerving her BMW in and out of traffic prior to her arrest.
Spears was also taken to a hospital to have her blood drawn so authorities could determine her blood alcohol content. She was released from police custody at 6:07 a.m. Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court on May 4.
Her DUI arrest comes just five months after Kevin Federline, 47, released his explosive memoir. In the more than 200-page book, Federline made shocking claims, including allegations that Spears used cocaine while breastfeeding their two sons and frequently displayed “erratic behavior,” such as standing in their sons’ doorway at night holding a knife.
The backup dancer-turned-DJ also claimed Spears drank while pregnant and warned that her life was “racing toward something irreversible.”
Kevin Federline made several shocking claims in his bombshell memoir.
Spears, who has denied Federline’s allegations, described the “constant gaslighting” from her ex as both “extremely hurtful” and “exhausting” in an X post just before his book was released. She also accused him of profiting from her pain.
“Trust me, those white lies in that book, they are going straight to the bank and I am the only one who genuinely gets hurt here,” the “Stronger” singer tweeted in October, referring to what she called her ex’s allegedly false and damaging narrative.
Spears and Federline tied the knot during an impromptu ceremony in Studio City, Calif., in September 2004. They welcomed sons Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, before separating in 2006 and finalizing their divorce the following year
Kevin Federline and Britney Spears (pictured together in 2006) separated that year and finalized their divorce in 2007.
Spears’ manager, Cate Hudson, called her DUI arrest an “unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable” in a statement to Page Six on Thursday.
“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in a long-overdue change that needs to occur in her life,” Hudson said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
Hudson added that Spears’ sons, Sean and Jayden, “are going to be spending time with” the Grammy winner following the arrest. She also noted that her loved ones are working on “an overdue plan to set her up for success and well-being.”
