Britney Spears' ex Kevin Federline says Jamie Spears conservatorship 'saved her life'

Federline described the early days of his relationship with Britney as "amazing", before the pair's marriage headed down a rocky path. Photo / Getty Images

Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline thinks her estranged father Jamie's controversial conservatorship "saved her life".

The 44-year-old former backup dancer turned DJ made the claim in a rare interview with 60 Minutes Australia that was shown in the country on Sunday night.

He said the legal move, which lasted 13 years, was best for Britney, now 40, even though it left her without control over her life, career or finances.

Asked if Britney's 70-year-old father Jamie Spears made the right decision in enacting the conservatorship, Kevin said: "One hundred per cent I feel like he saved her back then."

But he admitted: "I wasn't involved in any of it ... how the conservatorship came about. I don't know. They were worried about their daughter and trying to do whatever they can to help her. That's all that I knew."

He also said the sons he shares with Britney – Sean, 16, and 15-year-old Jayden – were "happy" for their mother when her conservatorship ended. Kevin added: "Both of them were so happy for her, you know? Because it's not always about what's right. It's about this is what mum wanted, you know, mum got."

He said he wanted his boys to have a close relationship with their grandparents, Britney's dad Jamie and mother, Lynne, 67, as well as their uncle.

Kevin went on: "They're my kids' immediate family, you know? That's their grandfather and their grandmother and their uncle.

"I feel that it's very important that they have relationships with all of them, regardless of what happens."

In 2019, Kevin was granted 70 per cent custody of his and Britney's sons while Spears was downgraded to 30 per cent, according to TMZ.

60 Minutes has aired its controversial tell-all interview with Britney Spears' ex-husband. Photo / 60 Minutes

He and Britney dated for only three months in 2004 before they got engaged in July and married in September of the same year.

Britney had their boy Sean in September 2005, with Jayden following in 2006. But a year later Britney filed for divorce, which was finalised in July 2007.

Six months afterwards, Spears was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold.

In November, a Los Angeles judge finally agreed to end her former building contractor dad's conservatorship that controlled Britney's life and her estimated US$60 million fortune.