Kevin Federline’s upcoming interview — which Britney Spears has already spoken out against — won’t air in full because it’s “too hurtful.”
That is what the interviewer, Daphne Barak, said on the British morning show Lorraine on Monday. She also shared why Federline and the former couple’s teen sons — Preston, 16, and Jayden, 15 — wanted to do the tell-all, which will air as a one-hour special later in the month, claiming it’s because “nobody has thought about them” and they “have been hurt.” Barak also claimed Britney’s estranged mom, Lynne Spears, who is still in touch with Federline, wanted to participate but was too “scared.”
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“I think he just felt [that] it’s not really about Britney, it’s about fatherhood in the eye of the storm,” Barak said of the former backup dancer, who reportedly hasn’t done an interview in over 10 years.
She continued, “I think we tended to forget there are two kids [and] somehow these kids not only turned out to be handsome but super talented, super creative, very friendly. Somebody is responsible to bring them up — against the odds and away from the public eye — that is their father, Kevin Federline, who had full custody, and stepmother Victoria.”
Barak insisted “it was not just” K-Fed “who felt ready to talk,” but “the whole family … because they have been hurt. And not by Britney. It’s not her fault. But the situation, really, is very painful.” She said her “team spent a lot of time with his family — he is not the only interviewee.”
When asked if Lynne would be participating — after a preview saw Federline talking about how he’s maintained a relationship with his former mother-in-law — Barak said, “Lynne basically wanted to take part in it. But, again, it’s very complicated in this family. They’re all scared about” social media backlash. She did say Lynne spoke to Preston and Jayden in her presence when she was conducting interviews at the Federline home.
Barak said some of the claims in the interviews are so explosive they won’t make it to air.
“Actually we’re not going to reveal many things because we feel it will be too hurtful,” she said. “I don’t think anybody meant to hurt these boys purposely — and I’m sure Britney loves them. They come in to talk about her with a lot of love — and they do love her — but basically nobody has thought about them.”
Barak maintained the story is really “about the father and the boys and how he managed to successfully bring them up against the odds with all this drama going on,” she said. “So basically it’s not ‘Kevin vs Britney.’ It was not about her. It was about his fatherhood — and the whole family wanted it.”
While it’s “not about her,” the early highlights from it certainly attack Britney’s character. In a preview obtained by DailyMail.com, Federline — who split from Brit in 2006 — said the boys have chosen not to see her — and it’s been that way for a “few months.” They did not attend her June wedding to Sam Asghari.
Federline said his sons are embarrassed by Britney’s sexy Instagram photos, saying, “I try to explain to them, ‘Look, maybe that’s just another way she tries to express herself.’ But that doesn’t take away from the fact of what it does to them.” He said it’s hard as teens in high school to cope with that.
Federline spoke about keeping in touch with Lynne, who they boys call “memaw,” and how she visits the house. “My priority has always been: It is about what is good for the boys,” he said.
Federline also sided with Spears’s dad, Jamie, over the implementation of the pop star’s conservatorship 13 years ago. He said it “saved” Britney. Meanwhile, Britney has accused Jamie of conservatorship abuse.
Federline also said Jamie is just a person who “really cares about his family.” However, not touched on — yet — was Kevin obtaining a restraining order against Jamie, on behalf of Preston and Jayden, over an alleged physical disagreement between grandfather and grandchildren.
A spokesperson for Barak tells Yahoo Entertainment that a “powerful story” will be revealed about fatherhood “under very challenging circumstances.” The rep also said Federline was not paid for the interview and “and did not ask to be paid.”
Over the weekend, Britney lashed out against Federline over the interview news, saying, “It saddens me to hear that my ex husband has decided to discuss the relationship between me and my children. As we all know, raising teenage boys is never easy for anyone. It concerns me the fact that the reasons is based on my Instagram… it was LONG before Instagram. I gave them everything… Only one word: HURTFUL… I’ll say it… My mother told me ‘You should GIVE them to their dad.’”
Britney’s new husband also slammed Federline, saying that as the boys grow up they “may eventually realize the ‘tough’ part was having a father who hasn’t worked much in over 15 years as a role model.”
He also said that the father of six’s “gravy train will end soon,” as the boys reach 18, “which probably explains the timing of these hurtful statements. I do not know him personally and have nothing against him aside him trying to vilify my wife.”
