Britney was at the top of her game. She was the ultimate name in pop stars, and breakups and marriages aside, nothing could stop her. She was friends with Madonna, had just released a highly-regarded fourth album, was on a huge promotional tour, and had won a Grammy. Two months into the tour, however, tragedy struck.
While filming a music video, Spears fell and wrecked her knee, requiring arthroscopic surgery, six weeks of brace wear, and eight to twelve weeks of rehabilitation. She had to cancel the tour, and for the first time in six years, she had to put her career on hold. This period of rest produced plenty of problems.
Album Number Four
In November of 2003, Britney's fourth album, "In the Zone,” hit shelves. It sold over ten million copies and produced four singles, the first of which was a collab with Madonna called “Me Against the Music.” The other three singles were “Every time,” “Outrageous,” and “Toxic.” The video for “Toxic” won Britney her first Grammy award for Best Dance Recording.
By this time, Spears had taken over most of the creative control of her material, writing and co-producing all of it. Vibe referred to the album as “a supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter.”
Wedding Bells
After going through the lists of famous – and not-famous – men trying to find love, Spears finally went with childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander. Marrying him in January 2004 at A Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Britney's wedding look was a maroon cap and low-rise jeans. Like most Vegas weddings, it didn't last long.
In fact, the speed of this divorce has become a legendary tale about celeb marriages. Just fifty-five hours after the wedding, Britney filed for the marriage to be annulled, stating that when she married Alexander, she “lacked understanding of her actions.”
K-Fed
While rehearsing for the "In the Zone" tour, Spears met and became romantically attached with Kevin Federline, a backup dancer for pop band LFO. In July of 2004, while she was recovering, the couple announced that they would be married.
They had known each other for three months, and the relationship came with plenty of issues. Federline had just broken up with actress Shar Jackson – while she was pregnant with their second child. The tabloids had a field day, piling negative attention on the couple, and it was nowhere near the end of the problems for Spears.
An Unconventional Wedding
Spears and Federline tied the knot on September 18th, 2004. It was a weird day for everybody. There were a total of twenty-seven guests, who had all showed up thinking it was an engagement party, not the actual wedding ceremony. After the short ceremony and dinner, the entire party went to a local club, wearing matching sweatsuits.
Federline wore one that read “The Pimp,” while his half of the wedding party had the words “The Pimps.” As it turns out, they weren't actually married that day.