Jamie Lynn Spears has shared an emotional update about her relationship with sister Britney Spears.
Last June, it appeared that the once-estranged sisters seemed to have reconciled after the “Toxic” singer shared in an Instagram post that she had recently visited Jamie Lynn at work. “It was nice to visit my sister on set last week!!! I’ve missed you guys so much!!! Loyal girls stay home but it’s so nice to visit family,” she wrote.
Now, in a new interview with Variety, Jamie Lynn has revealed whether or not the two have patched things up.
When asked about the supposed visit, the Zoey 102 star neither confirmed nor denied if her sister actually visited her on set because she didn’t “want to upset Britney”. However, a source told the outlet that the two are not yet on good terms.
“I have nothing but absolute love for every single one of my family members,” Jamie Lynn said, seemingly dodging questions about her relationship with Britney today. “If I learned anything from last year, being so open and feeling like I had to defend myself at times, I don’t feel like there’s anything else that I need to say.”
“I just have to leave it where it is because those conversations are meant to be personal. All I can focus on now is my girls, my husband and the work that I’m doing,” she said.
Jamie Lynn – who departed the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 in 2007 after announcing she was pregnant at 16 – is now a mother to two daughters: Maddie, now 14, and Ivey, five.
The Sweet Magnolias star came under fire in recent years amid her older sister’s 13-year long battle to end her conservatorship, which was finally terminated in November 2021. However, Jamie Lynn faced backlash from fans who claimed she had not voiced her support for the #FreeBritney movement, while the “Gimme More” singer shared cryptic Instagram posts seemingly directed at her sister.
Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears at the 2002 Teen Choice Awards— (Getty Images)
In one since-deleted Instagram post, Britney slammed “the people closest to you who never showed up for you,” and referred to her youngest sister as a “mean a**” in a subsequent post.
After Britney was released from her conservatorship, and her father Jamie Spears relinquished control of her multimillion-dollar fortune, the pop star said her family “should all be in jail’ for allowing the conservatorship to continue for so long.
Following the release of Jamie Lynn’s memoir, Things I Should Have Said, in January 2022, Britney hit out at her sister for “making money” off her name in another scathing Instagram post. “The timing of your book was unbelievable Jamie Lynn … especially knowing the whole world had no clue what was really done to me!!!” she wrote. “The nerve of you to sell a book now and talk s*** but you’re f***ing lying. I wish you would take a lie detector test so all these masses of people see you’re lying through your teeth about me!!!!”
However, in an interview with Good Morning America, Jamie Lynn maintained that she took “no steps to be a part” of her sister’s conservatorship. The Nickelodeon alum also claimed that Britney once locked the two of them in a room with a knife because “she didn’t feel safe”.
Britney Spears and her sister backstage at the 2003 Kids’ Choice Awards— (Getty Images)
Speaking to Variety, Jamie Lynn began to “tear up” as she reflected on the scrutiny she faced as a result of her public feud with her sister. “It just makes me sad when I think about my kids,” she said. “I don’t ever want them to feel the pain or the scrutiny. That’s not necessary and it’s not theirs to carry. So I’ll carry it. That’s fine.”
As for whether she can imagine a possible on-stage reunion with her sister, the Zoey 101 star said she’s more focused on where she is now. “I don’t know. I think right now I’m really just focused on me and what I’m doing,” Jamie Lynn said. “I’ve worked very hard to be able to be a part of shows like Sweet Magnolias. And then fighting hard to bring back a character from my childhood. That is all I can think about right now because my dreams are coming true.”
Back in December, Britney Spears previously hinted that she and Jamie Lynn had reconciled by posting a picture of her younger sister on her own birthday. “It’s my b-day but you’re my heart so I’m thinking about you,” the singer captioned the Instagram post, which included a photo of Jamie Lynn playing the guitar. “Congratulations on being so brave, inspiring, and showing guts and glory in your show.”
“You ain’t alone… if anybody knows what it feels like… I get it. My baby sister!!! I love you!!!”
