Britney Spears is gradually restoring a relationship with her two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, even as friends and family have raised concerns about her mental health, Page Six reported Wednesday.
Sources told Page Six, citing Us Weekly, that Spears, 43, and her sons are "healing together," and that the teenagers have "turned the page when it comes to their relationship" with the pop star. Insiders described a cautious reconciliation in which Jayden, 18, has played a leading role in rebuilding contact and closeness, while Sean, 19, has moved more slowly.
One source told Page Six that Spears is "so grateful to have them in her life. She feels whole again," and that the boys, who have matured, want their mother in their lives. Another said Jayden has been "spearheading" the reconciliation and that he and Spears have been slipping back into an "old groove," which has been healing for both.
A third source described differing trajectories: Jayden's healing process is reportedly further along than Sean's, who has "mixed feelings" but has been encouraged by his brother's reunion with their mother. The outlet reported that Sean visited Los Angeles twice when his younger brother traveled there and that the family focused on rebuilding trust through "communication without judgment." The sources said Spears "reaches out to Preston more than he reaches out to her," and that she speaks with Jayden every few days and with Sean a few times a month via phone, FaceTime and text.
Spears shares the boys with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline, who moved with the family to Hawaii in 2023. The reconciliation follows a period of estrangement and intermittent contact; Page Six noted that Spears reunited with Jayden last year after years apart and that the pair had been spending substantial time together.
At the same time, people close to Spears and some fans have publicly expressed alarm over recent social media posts in which she appears to dance erratically in her Los Angeles home, which was shown in the videos as unkempt. Page Six cited reports in the Daily Mail that an insider said the singer is "having an episode right now" and that family members are "worried" and "terrified for her future." The Daily Mail quotes a relative as saying Spears "is not doing well at all," adding that her home is "a mess" and that she is "not functioning like an adult would function."
Those concerns come amid ongoing scrutiny of Spears since the end of her nearly 14-year conservatorship in 2021. Friends and relatives have sometimes differed publicly about the star's wellbeing, and the recent social media posts have prompted renewed debate among observers and supporters.
Page Six reported that the singer's "biggest priority right now" is rebuilding her relationship with her sons and that she has been attempting to listen and be more mindful of their feelings rather than resuming a traditional parental role. The outlet said Page Six reached out to Spears for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Representatives for Spears and for her ex-husband Kevin Federline did not immediately respond to requests for comment published alongside the Page Six report. The developments add to a longer, complex public narrative about Spears's family life, mental health and efforts to reestablish bonds since the high-profile legal fight over her conservatorship and its aftermath.