Britney Spears has claimed she will never perform in the United States again, citing what she described as “extremely sensitive reasons,” while leaving the door open to possible performances overseas — and with her son by her side.
The 44-year-old pop icon made the remarks in a deeply personal Instagram post, sharing an old tour photo of herself seated at a white piano onstage. In the caption, Spears said she plans to send the piano to her son and reflected on the role music and dance have played in her healing.
“Interestingly enough, I dance on IG to heal things in my body that people have no idea about,” she wrote. “Yup and it’s embarrassing sometimes… but I walked through the fire to save my life…”
Feb. 23, 2000; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Britney Spears performs at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY NETWORK
Spears then revealed a major shift in her relationship with performing.
“I will never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons,” she wrote. “But I hope to be sitting on a stool with a red rose in my hair, in a bun, performing with my son… in the UK and AUSTRALIA very soon.”
She added that her son is “a huge star” and said she felt humbled to be in his presence.
Spears shares two sons — Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19 — with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. She was estranged from both boys for several years but reunited with Jayden around Christmas 2024, a moment she has described as deeply emotional.
Last March, Spears posted videos of Jayden rapping and playing the piano, calling him a “genius.” In one clip, the singer could be heard shouting with excitement off-camera.
“My son just played, oh my God!” she said. “I felt it in my bones, and my heart, and my lungs.”
When Spears released her memoir, The Woman in Me, in 2023, she dedicated the book to her children, writing: “For my boys, who are the loves of my life.”
That same year, Federline sought and received permission from Spears to relocate Preston and Jayden to Hawaii, where he lives with his wife, Victoria Prince. His attorney later told People magazine that Spears had consented to the move, explaining that the boys were ready to step away from what he called the “L.A. microscope.” A source close to Spears said she had “always faithfully supported her children.”
Federline was granted sole custody of both sons in 2008, the same year Spears entered a court-ordered conservatorship that lasted 13 years. The conservatorship ended in 2021 following a highly publicized legal battle that reshaped public understanding of her career and personal life.
