Federline files for custody of children

A day after Britney Spears asked for a divorce, her husband Kevin Federline filed court papers seeking sole custody of the couple’s two children.

The former back-up dancer and aspiring rapper is also seeking spousal support. He says the couple’s community assets are “uncertain”, although Spears said in her divorce papers there were none to speak of.

“Kevin is prepared to go the distance in order to do what he feels is necessary to protect and safeguard the children and will not be intimidated or dissuaded from pursuit of those goals,” Michael Sands, spokesman for Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said yesterday.

Citing “irreconcilable differences”, Spears filed for divorce on Tuesday.

Spears, 24, and Federline, 28, have a one-year-old son, Sean Preston, and an infant son, Jayden James, who was born on September 12. Spears is seeking custody of both children.

Spears married Federline in the autumn of 2004. They had a ceremony in September, but court papers state the couple were officially married on October 6.

It was non-stop drama after that.

Magazines could not get enough of the pair, documenting their every tender gesture and teary-eyed fight. The couple contributed to the coverage with their self-filmed reality TV show, Britney And Kevin: Chaotic.

It was a first marriage for Federline, although he was still dating his pregnant girlfriend Shar Jackson when he met the pop star. Jackson gave birth to Federline’s second child just months before he married Spears.

It was the second wedding in a year for Spears, whose 55-hour marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander ended in annulment.

Born in Kentwood, Louisiana, in 1981, Spears got her first taste of fame at the age of 11 when she joined The All New Mickey Mouse Club TV show. Her fellow Mouseketeers included future superstars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.

Five years after leaving the show, Spears released her debut album, Baby One More Time and skyrocketed to fame.