Tatum O’Neal offers mom advice to Britney

Actress says she relates to Spears’ issues as young mother who needs help

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updated 2:48 p.m. ET Oct. 4, 2007

LOS ANGELES - From one child star to another: Tatum O’Neal says Britney Spears needs to be in recovery and get her disease of addiction together so she can address being a mother.

The 43-year-old actress shared her thoughts on the troubled pop star with “Entertainment Tonight” in an interview set to air Wednesday night.

“I relate to her and feel really sad for her,” O’Neal said, adding that she had similar experiences as a young mother. “I did everything ... that she doesn’t want to do. I did the drug testing. ... It was very humbling. ... I wanted those kids in my life.”

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This week a judge ordered Spears, 25, to temporarily surrender custody of her sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline. She was also ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol testing and take parenting classes as part of her ongoing custody dispute with Federline.

Spears needs treatment and she needs to shield her children from media attention, O’Neal said.

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O’Neal won an Oscar at age 10 after co-starring with her father, Ryan O’Neal, in “Paper Moon” in 1973.