Britney Spears voluntarily checked into a treatment facility after her DUI arrest, but her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, gave her a final push.
“Britney went to rehab after several conversations with both of her sons,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “They expressed concern about her recent behavior and urged her to seek professional help, which has been long overdue, to get her back on track. All they’ve ever wanted for their mom is health and happiness, even during the years they were estranged. They hope she’ll take it seriously.”
A second insider echoes that Preston, 20, and Jayden, 19, “played a big part” in their mom, 44, getting treatment, adding, “She went in to show she is taking it seriously.”
Us confirmed on Sunday, April 12, that Spears had entered rehab nearly six weeks after she spent a night in jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol.
“After her arrest, Britney was hesitant to take the leap despite encouragement from her team and other family members, but Preston and Jayden were finally able to talk some sense into her and convince her it needed to happen,” the first source tells Us, adding that the “Toxic” singer’s program is “not a set number of days,” so it is unclear how long she will be in treatment.
“Britney was a bundle of nerves heading to rehab because it’s very hard for her to trust outsiders and follow a routine that isn’t her own, but she’ll do just about anything for her kids,” the insider continues. “Their relationship is in the best place it’s been in years, and she doesn’t want to jeopardize that by continuing on a destructive path.”
A spokesperson for the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office in California tells Us that prosecutors are “still reviewing” Spears’ case and will decide whether to formally file charges against her sometime before her May 4 court hearing.
“Britney is very scared about the possibility of jail time or some other form of serious repercussions, so she recognized that getting ahead of things by voluntarily seeking treatment would only help her case,” the source says.
Us Weekly has reached out to Spears’ rep for comment.
Following the Grammy winner’s March 4 arrest, her rep told Us she would be “spending time” with Preston and Jayden while her loved ones came up with a “plan to set her up for success.”
The boys’ father, Kevin Federline, who was married to Spears from 2004 to 2007, addressed the pop star’s decision to go to rehab earlier this week.
“He is happy that she is getting help and that the decision appears to be one that she made and not one imposed upon her by others,” Federline’s longtime attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told TMZ on Monday, April 13. “The key is that whatever the recommended treatment plan is that she follows it and completes it.”
