Why Britney Spears ‘Looks Much Happier’ With Sons, Career Plans (EXCL)

It was a birthday to remember Britney Spears. On December 2 – the same day her divorce from Sam Asghari was completed – the pop star ushered in 43 with a trip to Mexico. In an Instagram post from her vacation, she filmed a video of a “very, very cute” little strawberry cake that a friend got her; in another she wrote, “I am so blessed!”

Spears has had a lot to celebrate lately, especially her recent reunion with her younger son, Jayden, 18. (The “Toxic” singer and ex-husband Kevin Federline also shares Preston, 19.) The mother-son duo were estranged in the summer of 2022, and Jayden and Preston moved with Federline to Hawaii the following year. Sources say Spears is overjoyed to reconnect with Jayden as she continues to work on her relationship with Preston and her mother, Lynne. (The mother and daughter reunited for the singer’s birthday last year, and Lynne, 69, wished her “Happy Birthday” on Facebook on Dec. 2.) Overall, Spears seems to be on the upswing. A source says so Us Weekly in the latest cover story: “In many ways, Britney seems a lot happier than she was last year.”

Olive branch

According to another source, Jayden started dating in November. “He’s open to mending the relationship with his mom and seeing where things go. Britney was very excited to hear from him; (it) means everything to her.” A third source says so Us Jayden plans to attend school in California and has been living with Spears. “They’ve been getting along well,” the source says, noting that things have started to improve with Preston as well. “Britney is confident that they will have a thriving relationship in the near future. That’s all she ever talks about,” adds the second source. “She would love a second chance with them.”

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News of their estrangement made headlines after Preston and Jayden declined to attend her June 2022 wedding to Asghari. Jayden addressed their strained relationship that September in an interview with ITVwhere he said he wanted her to “get better mentally” and called her out for having an overzealous social media presence. “It’s almost like she has to post something on Instagram to get attention,” he said, adding: “This has been going on for years and years and years. There’s a good chance it will never really stop.” In response, Spears hit back in a later-deleted Instagram post, saying, “It hurts me deeply to know … I didn’t live up to his expectations of a mother” and suggested Jayden “pick up a book and read one” , before discussing her mental health.

In June of this year they seemed to be on better terms. Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told outlets that the boys had called their mother for Mother’s Day, adding: “The phone call was a good sign and a step in the right direction.” Now it is a work in progress. The second source says: “It will take time. Britney hopes to continue spending time with Jayden and for Preston to come around. She cares deeply about her sons.”

Family ties

It’s not the only reunion she’s thinking about. The second source says Spears also hopes to continue patching things up with her mother. “Things with Lynne have been rocky (recently), but Britney wants to improve (their relationship),” the source says, noting that Spears is feeling extra anxious around the holidays. “She misses her and gets upset about her family dynamic.” Spears is still close with her brother, Bryan, 47. “Britney talks to him a lot,” says the second source. Spears and her father, Jamie, ended their legal battle — over allegations that he abused his authority as her conservator by paying himself $6 million — in April. Although they have reportedly not spoken since her 13-year conservatory ended at the end of 2021, a fourth source says Jamie, 72, has still contacted her: “He’s not bitter about how they ended things. ” Last June, Spears said via Instagram that she had visited her sister, Jamie Lynn, 33, on set, and a source told Us that they were hoping for a fresh start.

Friends and lovers

At home in Los Angeles, she has a small circle of friends. “Britney is close with her hair stylist and her assistant, but I can’t see her hanging out with anyone else on a daily basis,” says the first source. “She (can be) anywhere, and very hot and cold – (she’s either) on top of the world happy or crying because of a paparazzi photo.” In a Dec. 3 post, Spears blasted the paps, saying they’ve always been “unbelievably cruel” to her and saying she’d moved to Mexico; in a video shared three days later, she told fans she was house hunting there. “She wants to leave Los Angeles because she hates how the paps take pictures of her,” says the source. “It’s a great source of excitement in her life.”

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The second source says that Spears “has a few close friends who check in on her daily,” noting that she is in regular contact with Paris Hilton. “They write often and see each other once in a while. Britney loves babies, so it was very exciting for her to meet Paris’ children.” (In August, Hilton, 43, said Spears “loves to visit” her children with her husband Carter ReumPhoenix, who turns 2 in January, and London, 13 months.) Adds the source: “Britney is a happy person, but she spends a lot of time alone.”

She is open to dating. Spears was last linked to her former housekeeper, Paul Richard Solizas sources told Us she had been dating on and off since around September 2023. (They haven’t been seen together since August.) As for Asghari, sources say the exes — who split after 13 months of marriage in August 2023 — are no longer on speaking terms. (The actor, 30, is now dating a realtor Brooke Irvine. “This is his first relationship since the divorce,” says a fifth source. “He’s really happy.”) “Britney will always be a hopeless romantic,” adds the first source. “She loves having a partner, so she’s looking to date.”

Taking it easy

She is busy in the meantime. A source said Us in May that Spears considers her dancing Instagram videos “work,” adding that they “keep her entertained.” She has a jewelry line in the works as well as a biography based on her bestselling memoir, The woman in me. “She’s been excited about a lot of different projects,” says the first source. She is particularly passionate about teaching dance and would like to open a dance studio. “It’s really her dream,” the source explains, “and she talks about it often.” The second source says Spears is in no rush to do anything professional. “Britney lives a very low-key life. She’s not career-focused – she only wants to do things that bring her happiness right now.”

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With reporting by Travis Cronin and Amanda Williams