“I hate to burst my sister’s bubble, but my book is not about her. I can’t help that I was born a Spears too. … I’ve built my career in spite of just being someone’s little sister.”
By now, you’ve likely seen that the feud between the Spears sisters has reached new heights.
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The discord between Britney and Jamie Lynn — which has been playing out in the public eye since last June — was exacerbated this week, after the Zoey 101 star appeared on Good Morning America for a lengthy interview about the conflict.
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If you missed it, Britney accused Jamie Lynn of doing “nothing” to help her throughout her conservatorship — which saw her life and finances controlled by her father and lawyers from 2008 until Nov. 2021 — during an explosive court hearing last year.
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Jamie Lynn refuted Britney’s claim shortly after the testimony, and instead maintained that she’s always “loved” and “supported” her sister.
Ever since, the two have been caught up in a brutal ongoing Instagram feud — which only escalated on Wednesday, when Jamie Lynn publicly spoke out about the drama for the first time on GMA.
“I love my sister,” Jamie Lynn said. “I’ve only ever loved and supported her, and done what’s right by her. And she knows that. So I don’t know why we’re in this position right now.”
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“When [the conservatorship] was put into place I was a 17-year-old. I was about to have a baby, so I didn’t understand what was happening,” she said. “Nor was I focused on that. I was focused on the fact that I was a 17-year-old about to have a baby. I understand just as little about it then as I do now.”
Despite claiming that she didn’t “understand” the conservatorship, Jamie Lynn went on to allege that she provided Britney with resources to help her while under its control — something that she said “did not end well” for her.
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“There was no me overseeing funds or something like that, and if that was, it was a misunderstanding,” she said. “Either way, I took no steps to be a part of it.”
“I went out of my way to make sure that she had the contacts she needed to possibly go ahead and end this conservatorship, and just end this all for our family,” she said. “If it’s gonna cause this much discord, why continue it?”
“If she wanted to talk to other people … I set that up. I even spoke to her legal team … previous legal team, and that did not end well in my favor,” she added.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jamie Lynn defended the Spears family patriarch, Jamie Spears, who has been accused of abusing his former role as Britney’s conservator. Not only did the “Toxic” singer claim he “should be in jail” during her devastating testimony back in June, but Jamie was also suspended entirely from the conservatorship ahead of its termination.
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“It’s messy, and I’m working through it,” Jamie Lynn said of her current relationship with her father. “I have good days and bad days.”
“I think the relationship stands as that he’s still my father, and I have to acknowledge that in a responsible way,” she said.
The Nickelodeon alum also defended her tribute performance at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, during which she sang remixes of her sister’s songs — something that Britney has been very vocal about disliking.
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“I was doing a tribute to honor my sister and all the amazing things that she’s done,” Jamie Lynn said. “I don’t think she’s personally upset with me about that. Truthfully, I don’t know why that bothers her.”
Jamie Lynn also said she “can’t really speak to anyone else’s state of mind” when questioned about Britney’s well-being in the interview, despite describing her as “erratic,” “paranoid,” and “spiraling” in her upcoming memoir.
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Well, with all the criticism unfolding online, it wasn’t long before Britney entered the conversation herself to address her sister’s remarks.
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Sharing a lengthy statement to Twitter on Thursday, the “Piece of Me” singer not only dragged her sister’s remarks, but also questioned the arguably coincidental timing of the interview altogether — given that Jamie Lynn’s memoir is due to hit shelves next week.
Twitter: @britneyspears
“The 2 things that bother me that my sister said was how my behavior was out of control,” wrote Britney.
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“She was never around me much in that time so why are they even talking about that unless she wants to sell a book at my expense ???” she asked.
Britney went on to discuss the conversation around Jamie Lynn performing remixes to her songs in a “tribute,” all while she was being denied creative control and freedom under the conservatorship.
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“I know it may sound like a silly thing to most people but I wrote a lot of my songs and my sister was the baby,” Britney wrote. “She never had to work for anything. Everything was always given to her.”
“If you were me, you might understand asking for 13 years for remixes to go into a small venue show and on tours !!! 13 years later they assign me as the MOTHER OF ALL … heart of gold … Britney sitting there seeing a 15 minute performance of everything I have ever wanted … But see, I always was the bigger person,” she continued.
“They all got to DO IT and PLAY ME and I always sat there and took it. But see, now it’s a joke … the last thing I would ever do is ask for what was just given to her !!! So yes, they did ruin my dreams,” she wrote.
“I do remember asking my sister why she did that when she knew I was waiting to change my show and her only words were “Well, it wasn’t my idea” … Hope your book does well, Jamie Lynn !!!” Britney added.
Perhaps expectedly, Britney’s statement was met with a ton of support and praise from fans, many of whom fired more criticism toward Jamie Lynn.
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Now, following the intense backlash and Britney’s response, Jamie Lynn — who often remains silent on the scrutiny she faces — has shared a statement to Instagram addressing the entire ordeal.
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“Last thing I want to be doing is this, but here we are… It’s hard to see these posts, as I know the world also feels,” she began.
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“I just wish her well. Brit, I am always here, you know behind the scenes I have always been here. It’s becoming exhausting when conversations, and texts we have in private don’t match what you post on social media,” she said.
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“I know you’re going through a lot and I never want to diminish that, but I also can’t diminish myself,” she added.
Jamie Lynn went on to note that after a “lifetime of staying silent,” she now feels she has to “set the record straight” in order to protect her family’s mental health.
“Quite frankly, the things being said are absolutely not the truth, and I have to clarify that,” she wrote.
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“[Because] now it’s getting harder for me to rationalize to my oldest daughter why our family continues to get death threats, as a result of their aunt’s vague and accusatory posts, especially when we know she could tell the truth, and put an end to all of it in one second if she wanted to,” the statement continued.
The Sweet Magnolias actor then hit back at Britney’s claim that she has “never had to work for anything,” writing that she’s built a name for herself “in spite of just being someone’s little sister.”
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“I hate to burst my sister’s bubble, but my book is not about her. I can’t help that I was born a Spears too, and that some of my experiences involve my sister,” Jamie Lynn wrote.
“I’ve worked hard since before I was even a teenager, and I’ve built my career in spite of just being someone’s little sister,” she added.
Ultimately, Jamie Lynn concluded by saying that there are “no sides” to this feud and that she doesn’t want “drama.”
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“I’m speaking my truth to heal my traumas, so I can close this chapter and move forward and I wish my sister could do the same,” she said.
“No matter what comes, I will always love my big sister, and be here for her. It’s time to put an end to the unhealthy chaos that has controlled my life for so long,” she wrote.
Jamie Lynn’s remarks have, once again, received heavy criticism online, with fans calling her statement a “slap in the face” to Britney.
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Interestingly, some pointed out that she signed the post off as “Jamie Lynn Spears Watson” — including the last name of her husband, Jamie Watson — when she nearly always goes by “Jamie Lynn Spears” or “JLS” across social media.
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Some suggested that, in light of her comments about the weight her last name carries, Jamie Lynn might be attempting to distance herself from the Spears name considering the recent backlash.
Well, between Britney taking a temporary break from Instagram and Jamie Lynn saying she doesn’t want any “drama,” it’ll be interesting to see what comes next in this feud.
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