But it further deteriorated when Federline, 29, was given custody of their kids while Spears, 25, was in rehab - a move Spears says was orchestrated by her mom.
"She feels her mother gave Larry Rudolph power: He handed her kids over to her ex," explains the source.
Another insider says, "Britney loves her mom and they talk almost every day, but they aren't the most cordial conversations.
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Meanwhile, NYDN reports that Britney Spears has been doing some DIY image rehab.
"Britney has been tipping off the paparazzi agencies before she heads out for her daily errands," says Someone Who Would Know. "She has been doing it for the past couple of weeks.
"
"She's also been posing for video paparazzi, hence her recent video rant [on X17online.com] against her management."
