Temasek Engineering School, Singapore

Britney Spears’s continuing downward spiral took a devastating turn Monday when she was ordered to relinquish custody of her children by a judge who had cited her drug-and-alcohol-fueled lifestyle.

Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled that that ex-husband Kevin Federline will take Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday “until further order of the court.”

Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were married in October 2004. She filed for divorce last November and it became official in July. The two have joint custody of their sons, but Federline is seeking a greater share of custody.

Though Spears must relinquish physical custody of the children until further ruling from the court, she and Federline still share legal custody.