The friction between Britney Spears, her parents and her sister, Jamie Lynn, has been well-documented by the pop star, as she’s made some huge allegations about her family on both social media and in her memoir The Woman in Me. Unfortunately that’s not the only family drama Spears has to contend with, though, as she’s allegedly been estranged from her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. Recently, there have been signs that the ice may be beginning to thaw, and the sweet birthday message she sent to them seems like a good sign.
Sean Preston, the older son of Britney Spears and Keven Federline, turned 19 on September 14, just two days after his younger brother Jayden James turned 18 on September 12. As fans celebrated Spears seemingly not having to pay child support to her ex-husband anymore, the “... Baby One More Time” singer had a more sincere take, choosing to honor the boys on Instagram with throwback pics of them with her. She wrote:
This month is my boys’ birthdays !!! Happy Birthday 🎁 babies and I hope you get all your wishes and more !!!
That’s such a sweet sentiment and certainly speaks to reports over the past few months that she may be on the road to repairing her relationship with her now-adult sons. In June, Kevin Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, shared an update on their situation that sounded promising, telling ET:
The good thing is that the boys saw their mom was doing well and have a desire to speak with her. There has been some telephonic communication between Britney and her sons, and we think that is a step in the right direction.
There’s been plenty of drama between Britney Spears, Kevin Federline and their two children over the years, but it took a pretty public turn back in 2022. Their younger child, Jayden James, spoke about his relationship with mother in an interview, including why he and Sean Preston didn’t attend her wedding to Sam Asghari. It was clear from his comments and her response that there was still plenty of tension there, but that both were hopeful for a relationship in the future.
It was thought a reunion might happen before they moved to Hawaii with their dad in 2023. A lot of insiders claimed at the time to have info about the mother-son relationship after she agreed to their move. Due to the boys being under 18 at the time and her ongoing custody agreement with Kevin Federline, the “Lucky” singer was required to sign off on their relocation.
However, Britney Spears of all people understands how tough it can be to repair a damaged relationship, and K-Fed’s lawyer said the healing was in the very early stages, commenting:
Reconciliations and the reunification of relationships are difficult and take time. They are sometimes complicated and always a lengthy process. The process has not really commenced, let alone [been] completed.
It’s not just their mother who Sean Preston and Jayden James may be looking to reconnect with. They also have allegedly reconciled with their grandfather Jamie Spears, from whom they were also estranged. That news came amid reports of multiple health issues for Britney’s dad, who recently had to have his leg amputated, and the singer was reportedly a bit hurt by her sons’ actions, as her own feelings about Jamie remain complicated.
Of course there’s likely a long way to go, but it seems clear from Britney’s birthday shout-out that she remains hopeful of developing a relationship with her sons.
