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Britney’s Ex-Father-in-Law: ‘Not At All Surprised’

• 3 p.m. ET: Dennis Alexander, the father of Britney’s first husband Jason Alexander, tells PEOPLE he’s “not at all surprised” that Spears filed for divorce. “Not a shock. Does anything last in Hollywood?” he says.

“She would totally have had a better chance at it working out if she’d have stayed with Jason,” Alexander, 50, who owns a local automotive repair shop in Britney’s hometown of Kentwood, La., said Tuesday. “He would have taken care of her and protected her homestead back here in Kentwood. He wouldn’t have been interested in personal glory or fame or needing to be ‘Mr. Macho-Top-Of-The-World Man.’ Jason has a heart of gold. Britney knows it. They’re from the same background.

“It’s a small town here, and everyone knows everyone,” he added. “We talk about things. I think pretty much everyone around here thinks it would have been better for her to stay with Jason. They totally would have had a better chance.”

Alexander says his son (to whom Britney was married for 55 hours in 2004) is now in Los Angeles. As for whether his son still has feelings for Britney, Alexander says: “He and Britney are childhood friends. He will always care for her.”

One in Chicago, The Other in New York

• 12:30 p.m. ET: Spears remains in New York City on Wednesday after a night out shopping at the Gap, ice-skating at Rockefeller Center and dining out with pals in midtown.

• 12:45 p.m. ET: Meanwhile, Federline is in Chicago where he is due to perform at the House of Blues tonight. The Chicago Tribune reports that ticket sales for the concert have been so sluggish that the venue is giving them away (with the exception of a $2.25 convenience charge). No word on whether sales have picked up since news of the couple’s split.

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