» January 5: The panty-less partying doesn't stop — nor do Spears' apologies. "Trust me, I get it," she writes. "I know I've been far from perfect". Later that month, the couple agree to a temporary joint-custody arrangement which included a three-days-a-week visitation schedule for Federline.
» February 14: Britney checks into Crossroads Centre, a rehab facility on the Caribbean island of Antigua, only to check out a day later
» February 16: Britney shaves her head in Sherman Oaks, California.
» February 20: Britney checks into Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility in Malibu, California, only to check out less than 24 hours later.
» February 22: Britney checks back into Promises, as Kevin asks the court for an emergency hearing to help sort out custody issues.
» March 20: Britney completes her program at Promises, as Kevin celebrates his 29th birthday.
» March 29: Britney and Kevin reach a settlement "on all issues of their marriage and child custody," in which the couple are to split custody 50/50.
» May 2: Britney Spears makes her first appearance on stage since leaving a rehab clinic. She performs five songs at the House of Blues.
» May 17: Britney fires bodyguard Tony Barretto for failing to pick up a hat. He later files a deposition in her child-custody case claiming to be witness to "nudity, drug use and safety issues" involving her kids.
» May 29: Britney Spears says she "truly hit rock bottom" when she went to rehab earlier this year. In a message on her website the singer writes that she "genuinely did not know what to do with myself" following her split from husband Kevin Federline. But she denies her spell in rehab was the result of "alcohol or depression".
» June: Britney's personal publicist resigns.
» July 6: Britney Spears apologises for attacking a photographer's car with an umbrella. Pictures of the star lashing out appeared in several newspapers shortly after photos emerged of her shaving her head in a hair salon. In a message on her website she says "I apologise to the pap for a stunt that was done four months ago."
» July 26: Britney takes the kids out of state (a no-no when it comes to the custody agreement), only to have a tussle with a paparazzo outside the Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Her bodyguard Cesar Julio Camera is later charged with battery in connection with the incident. Strangely enough, the only post on the singer's Web site for the month — and ever since — has been an apology to another paparazzo, one she attacked with an umbrella. The singer blamed her actions on a movie role. "I was preparing a character for a possible movie role where the husband doesn't play his part so they swap places," she writes
» July 30: The divorce is finally made official ...
» August 2: ... but nothing is settled, as Federline's team starts to serve a series of subpoenas to Spears' friends and employees, starting with her assistant Alli Sims.
» August 6: Britney has a minor fender-bender when she hits a parked car. Well, minor except for the fact that she doesn't have a driver's license in the state of California, and she leaves the scene — while being photographed and videotaped.
» September 9: Britney performs at the VMAs, while Kevin throws a birthday party for the kids. The BBC's David Willis says her performance will "go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards". The singer looked "really out of sorts" and "looked as though she completely lost the art of lipsynching" he says.
» September 17: A Los Angeles judge orders Britney to do random drug testing, counseling and parenting classes as he evaluates the couple's opposing custody wishes. Kevin is also ordered to take parenting lessons. Britney swaps lawyers. Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott M Gordon describes her as "a habitual frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".
» September 18: Britney parts company with her management and swaps lawyers once again. The Los Angeles based firm said "We have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears. We believe she is enormously talented but current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job."
» September 21: Britney is charged with two misdemeanor counts of hit and run causing property damage and driving without a valid license. She continues to drive anyway, and is photographed and videotaped driving with the kids in the car.
» October 1: Britney Spears is ordered to hand over her two young children to her former husband. Los Angeles judge Scott Gordon rules Kevin Federline should be given custody of Sean Preston(two) and one-year-old Jayden James until "further notice". The couple had shared custody and the reason for the change is not given.
Sources: mtv.com, nytimes.com, bbcnews.com, abcnews.com
