Kevin Federline: ‘When you are co-parenting, you have to give up some things’

Kevin Federline at Crazy Horse III
No one could have predicted that Kevin Federline, the original f-ck boy leech, would step up and be the reliable parent in the wake of Britney’s mental health crisis. I used to write about him around that time, which was ten years ago now(!), and prior to Britney’s issues he was a complete tool who bragged about his luxury toys, all purchased with Britney’s money. He changed though, he took custody of his boys, now aged 11 and 10, and now that Britney has been stable for some time they’re coparenting. K-Fed, 39, has since remarried and has two daughters aged five and three, with his second wife, Victoria Price. He also has a daughter aged 14 and a son aged 12 from his relationship prior to Britney (with overlap) with Shar Jackson. So when he talks about having six kids here that’s whom he’s referencing. He works as a DJ now and sounds pretty sensible when he talks about his kids and marriage.

What’s a typical day in the Federline house?
Up at 6/6:30 a.m. Get the kids ready, take them to school. Kids get home, homework done, dinner, showers, off to bed. By the time they are laying [sic] down, I’ll get back into the studio if I need to. I try to be in bed by midnight. If you aren’t getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep, you’re falling asleep while they’re at school.

Any special plans or traditions for Father’s Day?
I’m used to not having all my kids, and this is gonna be one of those years. When you are co-parenting, you have to be willing to give up some of the things you would really like to do. My boys will be gone, their mom’s off in Asia on tour. They are with me until the 15th, and then they are gone for the rest of the month. So I won’t have the boys for Father’s Day. I’m doing a vacation with some of the kids and my nephew.

Is it hard raising 6 kids?
Having six, it feels like you’re trying to control a basketball team. But it’s worth it. All my kids are great; they get along. By the time you have six, you are so well seasoned. I can probably change a diaper with one hand and feed a kid at the same time.

What is the key to having a successful marriage?
A lot of it comes with age. You get older, and you realize what’s really important to you. Definitely having patience and compromising. It has to be something you want. If it’s something you don’t want, it’s not going to work. People expect it to be a fairytale, like a Disney cartoon, but it’s not like that. It’s real life. It takes hard work and dedication.

From BravoTV via E! Online]

That’s nice that he used “give up some things” in the context of giving up quality time with his kids. Wow that’s Kevin Federline, talking about raising kids with a routine and putting hard work into a marriage. Some douchebags can change. Just please realize they’re a statistical anomaly and that being a good dad is much different than being a decent partner and husband. Still, it looks like Federline stepped up in that department too. Also he’s a vegan now and it shows.

Kevin Federline at Crazy Horse III

Kevin Federline hosts his Fantasy Football Draft Party and performs a DJ set

Kevin Federline at Crazy Horse III

Photos credit: WENN

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

40 Responses to “Kevin Federline: ‘When you are co-parenting, you have to give up some things’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Alex says:

    I used to loathe this guy until 2007. The quick action he took for the boys and I believe he stopped sniping with Britney in the press as well during that time. I give him props for that.
    Plus it seems like he’s had a good coparenting relationship with Britney for a while now.

    • Char says:

      The way he stepped up for his kids with Britney and the fact he never bashed her on media because of her mental illness is really a nice thing.

    • Jillybean says:

      His biography if ever written – from his perspective would be pretty interesting- and probably quite touching. Probably a good read for all people going through a divorce with young children.

  2. Pumpkin Pie says:

    He sounds very much normal and OK. A breath of fresh air, considering, cough, cough.
    PS. I just love bras. A lot.

    • bluhare says:

      Was thinking the same thing. 🙂

    • Ann says:

      Isn’t it weird how we automatically scrutinize a woman’s body? She isn’t wearing one, she should be! Why are we policing women this much?

    • CynicalAnn says:

      I noticed those shirts he’s wearing that have almost naked women on them. Douche move.

  3. lunchcoma says:

    He sounds like he’s doing a good job with parenting and has his head on straight. What is the deal with those gross t shirts though?

    • Pyritedigger says:

      There is only so much bro you can take out of a dudebro.

    • Honey says:

      I don’t think I’d want to see my husband wearing those gross shirts

    • Pandy says:

      Of course I had to scroll up to see the T Shirts! Yikes!!! I’m kind of wondering if it’s the wife?? Some sort of promotion for her? Otherwise, he sounds like he grew up and is a parent. Good for him.

  4. Chelly says:

    He really has done a 180. He was the douchiest doucher at one time & maybe that had a lot to do with age? Opportunity? Idk but w/e it was it seemed evident that once he got custody of the boys he made them his main priority and his focused totally shifted. He looks really happy & seems to genuinely love his wife & being a dad. So, kudos bc as previously mentioned in the story, not all of them are capable of stepping up & changing

    • jwoolman says:

      He also didn’t forget about his two older children. His ex said she thought he was a lousy boyfriend but a good dad, that he made sure all his kids knew each other because they’re family. He kept the kids out of camera range as much as possible, but we saw a few shots of him with all four kids so they were indeed spending time together. He also kept it very friendly with Britney so they could be at events together for the kids with no problems. He was also a grandparents’ dream for an ex-son-in-law, since he encouraged the grandparents to hang around the kids even when he had full custody. When he was out of town, grandma even stayed with the kids at his home. Many grandparents have real problems getting time with their grandkids after a divorce if their child is not the custodial parent. I think family is very important to him at all levels.

      He was weak when he was younger, and clearly Britney pursued him (he was a backup dancer) and he was stupid enough to go along with it while his second child was still in the womb. Saying he was a lousy boyfriend was a bit of an understatement. But then afterward I think he was just completely baffled about how to deal with a woman descending deeper and deeper into mental illness. Many people have no idea what to do in such situations, and Britney had a lot of power in the relationship.

      I think Federline is actually the one who had to call 911 when she refused to hand over the kids to his representative when scheduled. He apparently got a call from Britney herself that scared him into action. He must have been concerned before that, but she must have threatened something drastic. She’s really lucky that things turned out so well for her and her children, and has Federline and her father to thank for that.

  5. Beth says:

    He’s definitely changed well. Now a mature and good responsible father. Great to see this happen

  6. jwoolman says:

    Federline really did become the grownup when that was truly needed. He always kept the maternal grandparents in the loop (grandma even stayed at his house when in town sometimes), always made reasonable restrictions when sending the kids to visit their mom during her dark days (when the judge actually had said no visits, but Federline felt she and the kids needed them): a grandparent had to be with them at all times and mom couldn’t drive with the kids in the car. This was the point was Britney was often very unresponsive with the kids, she was in such sad shape. But it kept them in contact which was good for her and good for the kids, who were well taken care of during the visits by grandpa. Federline impressed me because he didn’t say a word against Britney but quietly took the legal steps needed, and he always supported her and said he expected that when she was recovered then he expected to go back to 50-50 custody. At one point he followed her on tour so she could have her custody time but he would be right there just in case.

    He has been unfairly jeered at as a gold digger and a leech, when actually any financial support he received was a pittance for the LA area. (The same was true for Britney’s dad – he gave up a lot to help her through recovery and continue to keep her happy when he realized she would always need help.) As for full time work – when you are the sole competent parent in a situation like that, dealing with very young children traumatized by a mentally ill parent who really need you to be present, and needing to spend time in a courtroom periodically — if you can manage without working much outside the home then that’s what you should do. Britney had the funds. If the genders were reversed, nobody would have thought twice about it.

    • detritus says:

      His support and behaviour post breakup has been excellent. Those boys couldn’t ask for a better more conscientious dad, and Brittney’s lucky too. He has always seemed to respect her.

      Imagine if those kids were JTs, for unlikely example, this would not have worked out so well.

    • Alex says:

      Exactly. He did everything he could for the boys but also for Britney. It made me realized he DID love her because he wouldn’t do all the things he did otherwise.
      Like I said in my comment he really impressed me with all he did and continues to do.

    • paleokifaru says:

      And he just sounds so SENSIBLE when discussing custody. He’s not acting like his kids are put upon to have time away from him. You are co-parenting because you gave up on the adult relationship which means you give up being with your kids all the time too. It’s not always about you and your special occasions and what you want. When your kids have two houses they can’t be in your house for every single event you have. As a stepmom I so appreciate what he is saying and wish more parents would understand this and take his approach. If you want to celebrate with those kids, do it on a day you have with them that doesn’t disrupt the schedule you set for them. It doesn’t always have to be a power play for their time on the exact day you want it. Well done.

  7. Jess says:

    I was shocked at his transformation too. I imagine it’s pretty darn scary seeing the mother of your children literally lose her mind, but he stepped in and took the boys and has stayed respectful of her this entire time. Go Kevin, I think his wife works as some type of teacher, I’ll have to google, but hopefully they aren’t just living off of Britney’s monthly support even though I’m sure it’s plenty.

    • HadToChangeMyName says:

      She was a teacher, but I don’t think she’s worked for years. He supports his six kids and wife with Britney’s money and some DJing gigs. That’s the only thing that kind of bugs. But he seems to live a fairly humble life and you don’t see him dragging her into court for more money, like ever. So if it works for them *shrugs*.

      • Ange says:

        I get it though, he does a lot for those boys and the family and I really feel he kinda earned it with his conduct during Britney’s worst mental health issues.

    • Alex says:

      Well he has 50/50 custody so of course he gets a lot of CS. Britney makes millions per year that’s what the CS is for. I’m not going to knock him for living with her money…he’s not spending it on wild trips or anything. They seem to live a low key life

  8. Maria F. says:

    i agree with all the posters. He could have exploited his ‘fame’, especially in these times of reality tv and social media, but he keeps a very low profile.

  9. Maiden says:

    I remember when he was launching his album and he was being interviewed on Much channel (Canada) when he got the text that Britney was divorcing him. That happened on live TV. He was so vilified during that time, because people saw him as a gold digger and a freeloader and accused him of encouraging Britney down the wrong path. For the most part, I think he just bought into the whole celebrity thing and as we say in my country, he “drowned in a half a glass of water” meaning he was in over his head and got carried away by his newfound ‘fame’ and access to wealth. A lot of people behave the same way when they come into money all of a sudden.

    It’s good to see that he has proven to be a great parent and he has grown up and matured. More power to him!

    • Molly says:

      I remember when Rosie O’Donnell was hosting the view, and she launched the confetti cannon in celebration of the divorce announcement. (Which was gross.) The Britney Cracks were starting to show, and I remember thinking, “he may not be the total bad guy here. Let’s pump the breaks…”

  10. What's Inside says:

    Who knew Fedex could be a stand up guy. Kudos.

  11. OTHER RENEE says:

    I’ve always admired this guy for how he handled himself and his family once it became clear what was happening to Britney. So many people could learn from his stellar example of what it means to step up and do the right thing. And I don’t think he’ll be pushing his kids into the limelight anytime soon like some other parents we all know and criticize.

  12. Idky says:

    Totally stepped up. I respect him now.

  13. JenB says:

    Gotta give the credit where it’s due to K Fed. Also I think his current wife looks strong, pretty, and healthy.

  14. Lalu says:

    That’s a lot of kids to be an example for. He sounds sensible. I’m happy for all of them.

  15. QQ says:

    No shade, he looks like a guy that always wears basketball shorts slides and socks ( aka Scuzzy Guy, with the Good Pipe but that’s about it, Uniform) But he sincerely sounds like a great co-parent, a hands on dude with the kids and if we’re gonna do this More of a Gentleman, that say for example Actual Eternal POS Justin Timberlake who stays trotting the Britney Horse whenever it suits.. At least Federline hasn’t had many birdbrain things to say about either Shar or Britney, whether this is based on NDAs or child support money or not is immaterial, he Stepped up, the kids seem well adjusted and he is also not selling their pics every few months a la Larry Birkhead and Dannielynn so.. KUDOS TO YOU MY GUY!, Just for that I’m GONNA p[lay Popozao to myself right now.. You deserve!

  16. Lucy says:

    Welp, he grew up. Good for him, I wish him well.

  17. z says:

    Why are werden praising him for doing what he is supposed to do ? Taking care of your kids doesn’t score you brownie points, it’s your duty. Same goes for not kicking the mother of his children while she’s down. None of these are accomplishments, it’s what any decent human being would do. Are our standards really that low these days?

    • Anon33 says:

      I think you only have to look to the White House to find the answer to your question.

    • Chelly says:

      I don’t think its so much praising him for being a dad & doing what a father is supposed to do, it’s acknowledging the fact that he stepped up to the plate in a particularly difficult circumstance to do what he needed for his boys. Where as, unfortunately, some men might have bailed, or just half-assed it, as they seemingly have the option to do. I do think however that people are mostly praising the change in behavior he’s demonstrated through the years vs the party-hardy douche he was 10 years ago. And deservingly so

    • noway says:

      I think you are right, our standards have fallen so low that when we see someone, who once was kind of a loser, grow up and not be that loser we do need to encourage it. Yes it is a sad world we live in now, but I’m all for encouraging a different world and people. Go K-Fed!!!!

  18. thaliasghost says:

    So he is a stay at home dad?

  19. Shannon says:

    I’m sure he did love her, because from what I can see he treated her with respect. Love doesn’t always mean things will work out, but it does mean you continue to respect one another and help one another if needed. I have exes who have been there for me and vice versa. Plus, age and parenthood combined can mature a person. I know I’m a lot more mature now, at 41, than I was at 21. Especially when you’re co-parenting, it’s always easier to get along than to fight imo.

  20. Rianic says:

    He needs to go straighten up Leeann and Eddie.