It appears Britney Spears is in trouble once again.
Swerving her car into the wrong lane of a highway after a night out, 43-year-old Spears is ‘spiraling’ out of control in sad echoes of her infamous 2007 breakdown, friends say.
In worrying footage and photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the interminably troubled pop star appeared unsteady at upscale Thousand Oaks eatery Red-O on Wednesday night.
Onlookers described how Spears’ top slipped off her shoulders as she knocked over glasses and dropped items across the restaurant floor.
After reportedly ordering a quesadilla from the ‘happy hour’ menu, Spears — who was wearing flip-flops — then raised a glass in a bizarre toast to the entire restaurant, before appearing to stuggle with her footing as a female friend held her hand and guided her outside.
There, and despite protestations from several people, including her companion and restaurant staff, Spears got behind the wheel of her black BMW.
In worrying footage and photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Britney Spears appeared unsteady at upscale Thousand Oaks eatery Red-O on Wednesday night
After raising a glass in a bizarre toast to the entire restaurant, a female friend held her hand and guided her outside
There, and despite protestations from several people, including her companion and restaurant staff, Spears got behind the wheel of her black BMW
One witness said Spears ‘nearly ran over her friend while pulling out,’ forcing the mystery woman to jump out the way as the singer sped off.
Spears’ drive — some five miles down a highway to her Thousand Oaks mansion — quickly turned perilous.
Video shows Spears appearing to drive dangerously, U-turning and accelerating sharply with her tires screeching.
At points she also tailgated other vehicles, swerved into a bike lane and, most concering, crossed over into the wrong lane, putting herself in danger of on-coming traffic multiple times.
At a stoplight, she appeared agitated, gesturing wildly.
Once home, witnesses described how she spent around 20 minutes struggling to get through her front gate.
In fact, Spears and her mystery date ended up sitting outside the house after repeatedly trying and failing to punch in the gate code, one onlooker said.
‘She would key it in and drive up to the gate, but the gate would not open,’ the witness said. ‘She did this three or four times. The friend never left her car. After 20 minutes, the friend leaves. Brit then spent another 10 minutes trying to get in and finally succeeded.’
Onlookers described how Spears’ top slipped off her shoulders as she knocked over glasses and dropped items across the restaurant floor
Spears, who was wearing flip-flops, ordered a quesadilla from the ‘happy hour’ menu
The Daily Mail has not received responses to requests for comments from representatives for both Spears and her ex-husband Kevin Federline.
But, according to a source close to Spears, the disturbing outing comes as a direct result of Federline’s new memoir.
Published on Tuesday, just one day before the night out, 47-year-old Federline’s book trashes Spears in a series of disturbing revelations, including that she allegedly once used cocaine before attempting to breastfeed their children.
‘Kevin’s book is putting Britney in a tailspin. She’s spiraling. It’s reopening old wounds,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
Recalling Spears’ drug-fueled 2007 breakdown — which prompted the start of her 14-year conservatorship and saw her temporarily lose custody of her two boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James — the source added: ‘If you think about that time in her life, and if you have any humanity at all, you know how dark and tough things were for her then.
‘Two little boys, custody issues, postpartum. And it was severe postpartum. Even thinking about it can trigger her and now she’s in the news again. It’s been really rough.’
Spears’ conservatorship — a legal arrangement in which her father, Jamie Spears, had control over her finances and personal decisions — ended in 2021 following outcry from fans.
Her behavior since, however, has been far from reassuring. Posting topless pictures, erratic dance videos and even clips of her brandishing knives on social media, Spears has caused mounting concern in recent months.
‘There’s a reason why [the family] had her under a conservatorship,’ our insider said. ‘Everyone hates on Jamie, but he was doing what he thought was best for her.
‘And this week’s incident shows why. She’s acting out. She gets into these spirals and it just goes downhill fast. And her family loves her and is worried about her, whatever the public might say or think.’
Spears’ drive, some five miles down a highway to her Thousand Oaks mansion, quickly turned perilous
Video shows Spears appearing to drive dangerously, U-turning and accelerating sharply with her tires screeching
At points she also tailgated other vehicles, swerved into a bike lane and, most concering, crossed over into the wrong lane, putting herself in danger of on-coming traffic multiple times
At a stoplight, she appeared agitated, gesturing wildly
A second source told Daily Mail: ‘Whether people want to admit it or not, this is the Britney Spears of the last several years. When Kevin has recently said that he is scared, he’s not only saying that to sell books, he is also genuinely very concerned.
‘The problem is she is out of her conservatorship; she’s living her life and those that are concerned about her well-being are unable to do anything about it because people won’t listen or they are thought of as money chasing filth. It is a circle that can’t be broken. Britney is having a tough time right now.’
Federline’s memoir, You Thought You Knew, recounts painful episodes in which he claims Spears mistreated their sons Sean Preston, now 20, and Jayden, 19 — including standing outside their room while holding a ‘knife’ as they slept.
The former dancer Federline, who was married to Spears from 2004 to 2007, also claims she ‘punched’ Preston in the face, knowingly gave Jayden shellfish despite his allergy, and at one point wished both children ‘dead.’
A representative for Britney has denied all claims, with the singer accusing Federline of ‘gaslighting’ her. Writing on social media, Spears said: ‘I 100 percent beg to differ.’
Spears’ representatives also told the Daily Mail that the book is nothing more than an attempt to profit off of her, months after she ended child support payments for their sons when they both came of age.
According to a source close to Spears, the disturbing outing comes as a direct result of her ex-husband Kevin Federline’s new memoir
‘Kevin’s book is putting Britney in a tailspin. She’s spiraling. It’s reopening old wounds,’ the source told the Daily Mail
Once home, witnesses described how she spent around 20 minutes struggling to get through her front gate
‘She would key it in and drive up to the gate, but the gate would not open,’ the witness said.
In an interview with the Daily Mail this week, Federline rejected those claims, saying he has historically rejected seven-figure sums to dish dirt on Spears.
‘We’ve tried to handle things privately for so long that I felt the need to come forward and really try to gain some support for the family, the boys and her. It’s just needed. I feel like the clock is ticking,’ he said.
Federline recalled his sons’ heartbreak at watching their mother’s continual bad behavior after being freed from her conservatorship, saying it has left him ‘absolutely shocked and terrified’ and has been the driving force behind his decision to finally break his silence.
He continued: ‘Definitely everybody was worried about her back then and now. That’s the thing, nothing has really changed at all through all this, out of all the trying, all of the things behind closed doors.
‘There’s a lot that didn’t get shared [in the book],’ he said. ‘I’m just trying to paint the picture because I feel like it’s important for me to tell my truth.
‘Go read the book because the way that it’s being portrayed in the book is just with so much compassion and trying to understand, and I feel it’s very important for people to read my words or listen to my words in this.’
In the book, Federline also reflects on the night in 2008 when Spears was committed to the psych ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, after she refused to relinquish custody of her sons to him.
He called it ‘one of the hardest nights of his life’ as he watched his partner in the midst of the ordeal.
‘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,’ he wrote.
The event came just before Spears was placed on her conservatorship, which was terminated after 13 years amid support from the Free Britney movement.
But Federline feels the movement had unintended consequences on the pop star’s current wellbeing.
The incident is a sad echo of her infamous 2007 breakdown (pictured)
Federline, who was married to Spears from 2004 to 2007, this week claimed she ‘punched’ their son in the face. Spears denies all his claims
While he says the support for ending the arrangement probably ‘started from a good place’, he notes it may have scared off professionals from helping his ex after seeing the backlash her inner circle received from Free Britney followers.
‘All those people who put so much effort into that,’ he wrote, ‘should now put the same energy into the ‘Save Britney’ movement. Because this is no longer about freedom. It’s about survival.’
Kevin also wrote about his growing concerns about his ex after she began behaving erratically.
He wrote he fears his ex could face the same fate as stars such as Michael Jackson or Amy Winehouse, saying: ‘The truth is, this situation with Britney feels like it’s racing toward something irreversible… From where I sit, the clock is ticking, and we’re getting close to the eleventh hour.’
After Kevin’s comments emerged, Britney hit back at her ex in a lengthy social media post, accusing him of ‘gaslighting’ her.
The Toxic hitmaker said she’s ‘had enough’ in an emotional Instagram post, writing, ‘The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting.’
Spears also admitted she has felt ‘demoralized’ about the fractured relationship with her boys, writing, ‘I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys.’
The devastated singer added that she’s seen one of her sons for only ’45 minutes in the past 5 years.’
‘Relationships with teenage boys is complex. I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life.’
‘Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by own [sic] father for me,’ Spears went on.
‘They need to take responsibility for themselves,’ she added.
‘With one son only seeing me for 45 min in the past 5 years and the other with only 4 visits in the past 5 years. I have pride too. From now on I will let them know when I am available.
‘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 Baby One More Time singer concluded, ‘I am actually a pretty intelligent woman who has been trying to live a sacred and private life the past 5 years. I speak on this because I have had enough and any real woman would do the same.’
