Britney Spears’ Universe: Her Family, Staff, Love Interests and Collaborators
After being released from the hospital in 2008, Spears began spending more time with her paparazzo boyfriend Adnan Ghalib and manager Sam Lutfi. She was photographed running errands to drugstores and Starbucks, and missing depositions and custody hearings.
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Ali Sims
Britney's cousin Ali Simms briefly served as her assistant and has come to Spears' defense in the press, telling reporters that her friend and former employer is "not crazy."
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Christina Aguilera
Spears and fellow Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera were painted as rivals by the press for years. The two collaborated with Madonna at MTV's VMAs in 2003, where they each famously shared a kiss with the Material Girl.
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Justin Timberlake
Spears dated Justin Timberlake from 1999 to 2002. The two had proclaimed they would abstain from sex until marriage under the advice of Britney's handlers.
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Kevin Federline
Spears met future husband Kevin Federline in 2004. The two quickly married and had two sons, but Spears grew disillusioned with their relationship and informed her husband she wanted a divorce via text message in November 2006.
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Madonna
Britney can be considered the heir to Madonna's legacy of major dance pop hits and media controversy. The two famously crossed paths when they kissed at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2003.
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Bryan Spears
Britney's brother Bryan has largely stayed out of the spotlight, unlike his siblings and parents.
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Carla Ruiz
Spears fired former assistant Carla Ruiz for allegedly leaking information about the star's life to the press.
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Colin Farrell
After her breakup with Timberlake, Spears began a series of quick relationships with high-profile men, including Colin Farrell.
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Criss Angel
Illusionist Criss Angel was supposed to collaborate with Spears on her big comeback performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but Spears missed rehearsals and the elaborate plan was abandoned.
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Nate “Danja” Hills
Producer Nate "Danja" Hills was largely responsible for assembling Spears' 2007 album Blackout, a record that received mostly positive reviews and was well-received despite the fact that Spears did virtually no promotional activities.
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Felicia Culotta
Spears' longtime assistant and friend Felicia Culotta became well-known to fans via her appearances on the reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. Culotta (or Fe, as she was known to Spears), worked with the star for ten years and quit when her boss started to unravel.
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Fred Durst
Spears had a brief affair with Fred Durst, who betrayed her confidence by speaking out about their relationship on Howard Stern's show.
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Jamie Lynne
Britney's sixteen-year-old sister Jamie Lynn, the star of the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101, announced her own pregnancy in December 2007. The family sold the story to OK! magazine for $1 million.
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Jamie Spears
Britney's father, Jamie, has been temporarily put in charge of his daughter's estate following her most recent hospitalization.
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Jason Alexander
Spears married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a quickie Vegas ceremony in January 2004. The two quickly got an annulment, and Alexander later cracked under the pressure of his sudden infamy and dropped out of college.
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Kids
Britney's two sons with Kevin Federline, Sean Preston and Jayden James, were born two days shy of a year apart (September 14, 2005 and September 12, 2006).
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Larry Rudolph
Spears' manager Larry Rudolph carefully guided her career from the time she first signed to Jive in 1998. The two split following Britney's marriage to Kevin Federline, but reconciled briefly when she announced her divorce. Their relationship dissolved once again after Spears got out of Promises in 2007.
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Lynne Spears
Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, is famous for having written two books about her relationship with her daughter. The two stopped talking (per Britney's request) after Spears' trip to rehab in 2006, but now Lynne has re-entered her daughter's life.
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Paris Hilton
After filing for divorce, Spears rehired manager Larry Rudolph (he took her ice-skating in New York for a clean-cut photo op), but Spears wanted to explore her new freedom to its fullest. She hit the Los Angeles hotspots with party girls like Paris Hilton, and was photographed without her underwear three times. The Britney/Paris friendship didn't last long, and Hilton nicknamed Spears "The Animal" because she doesn't think before she acts.
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Starbucks
Other than the paparazzi that trail her every move, there are perhaps more Starbucks employees in Britney's universe than anyone else.
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Ke$ha
Ke$ha repaid her stylistic debt to Britney by co-writing Spears' massive 2011 radio hit "Til the World Ends."
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Jason Trawick
Britney has been dating her manager Jason Twawick since 2009. The duo teamed up to appear in her music video for the Femme Fatale single "Criminal."