Britney's private life has been anything but private over the past year and a half, with the media constantly guessing on the nature of her relationship to wannabe rapper Kevin Federline and on the way things stood between them.

Married in 2004, the couple has spent most of the time making headlines referring both to the stars' public displays of affection and their teary-eyed fights. Over the months, K-Fed came out as a party animal, living off his wife's fortune and fame, while Britney appeared as an incapable mother and pathetic figure of what she had once been.

Britney and Kevin repeatedly denied rumors about their having marital problems. The struggle between them and the tabloids raged as far as the singer taking certain magazines to court for running articles about them being on the verge of breaking up.

In the last month, while the pop star stayed at home with her two sons and K-Fed spent her money in Las Vegas, the press kind of laid off the couple's personal life, focusing instead on her upcoming musical comeback and his joke of a debut album.

So, what happened yesterday came as a shock to everybody, especially as court papers surfaced one day after Britney made a surprise appearance on David Letterman's show, looking happy with her new life. TMZ got hold of court papers, filed at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, in which Spears asks for divorce on the grounds of 'irreconcilable differences'.

The same documents show that she and Federline signed a very solid prenuptial agreement before they wed, as no financial issue is discussed. According to TMZ, Britney is asking full legal and physical custody of the one-year-old Sean Preston and two-month-old Jayden James. In change, she will not request any spousal support.

As the word about Britney's divorce is spreading, her publicist (and Kevin's) refused to answer calls seeking comment. Keep your eyes on this space for more information.