'I DON'T THINK BRITNEY AND KEV WILL STAY TOGETHER'
EXCLUSIVE SAYS HER OWN COUSIN
By Ryan Parry Us Correspondent In New York
BRITNEY Spears' marriage to Kevin Federline is doomed, a close relative claimed yesterday.

The pop princess wants to do the best thing for the sake of her four-monthold baby Sean Preston, according to Art Spears, a 52-year-old engineer.

Britney's cousin Art said: "I don't think Britney and Kevin are going to stay together.

"Her son is her life and she will obviously do what ever is best for him - but does that involve Kevin? I don't think so."

Federline, 27, spoke out this week to deny claims in US magazines he had cheated on Britney with a Las Vegas lapdancer and was sponging from her.

The former Destiny's Child dancer complained: "It's always, 'He hates his children, he treats his wife like dirt, he gets high all day'."


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And he insisted: "If I was that bad, you think anyone - let alone Britney - would put up with it?"


But Art commented: "Britney is very much her own boss and she does not need anybody to tell her what to do like Kevin has been doing.


"She is definitely a Spears - that's her way. She's been with some guys with real big money, but she didn't stay with them. She's got her own money, she's very independent.


"Britney comes from an average family but she's the biggest success story out of all of us.


"She doesn't want a guy who is there to look after her every need - but she doesn't want a guy who sponges off her either."


Britney and Kevin have spent the week apart. She has been holidaying in Hawaii with son Sean, leaving her husband at home in Los Angeles.


Art said of his cousin: "Britney is young. Her real interest is being a star and she's searching for someone who will stand by her in what she does.


"Kevin is more or less dependent on her at the moment.


"He's come from a different background and doesn't have the kind of money she's got. But Britney does not know what she wants yet. Her focus is on her son and her career right now."


Britney married Federline, who has two kids from a previous relationship, in 2004 but there have been months of speculation about their relationship.


There were reports the singer, whose hits include Baby One More Time and Toxic, was exasperated by his well documented partying. Yet Federline is poised to release his own album, which Britney's millions have helped fund. In a magazine he insisted he was not a bad husband and Britney was happy with his attempts at a music career.


Federline said: "We have collaborated.


But I'm not going to put the songs on this album because it's like, 'Respect me first' then I'll show you what I've done with my wife'."


Rapping under the name K-Fed, he does not have a record deal yet for his album PopoZao but still hopes to release it this spring.


The album appears to be his latest attempt to stand on his own two feet.


Critics have already slammed his material yet his website received two million hits in eight days.


He said: "If my album has even half that attention, watch out.


"That means everybody out there who loves me still loves me, and everybody out there who hates me ...


well, they're secretly buying it too."


Federline, who met Britney in a Hollywood club, has in the past admitted his wife's fame made some aspects of his life difficult Mirror