Britney Spears' Shadiest Jabs At Her Sister Jamie Lynn
There was a time when Britney Spears and her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, were incredibly supportive of each other. For instance, when the "Zoey 101" star spoke to Entertainment Tonight in 2020, Jamie Lynn revealed that her elder sibling lent her talents to co-writing the theme song for the hit show and encouraged her during recording sessions. "I was like 12, I was nervous to go in the studio. Of course, [my] big sis is like, 'Get in here and do it!'" Jamie Lynn recalled. "She cheered me on, and she was a big part of that song in the original version."
When the youngest Spears kid shared similar sentiments in another chat with The Hollywood Reporter that same year, she added that the "Toxic" hitmaker gave her tons of valuable advice about showbiz too. Jamie Lynn was incredibly grateful that she had a star in her home who had gone down a similar path because she could give her some input about working on different projects and warn Jamie Lynn against the no-good ones. The "All That" alum also thanked Britney for painting an honest picture of fame that notably didn't sugar-coat the darker aspects.
However, their supportive foundation couldn't survive the media storm surrounding Britney's conservatorship. In 2008, the girls' father, Jamie Spears, became the temporary conservator of her considerable estate alongside controlling Britney's personal life. However, the supposedly temporary agreement ultimately lasted 13 years, only ending after a lengthy court battle. While the public rallied for Britney's freedom, her little sister didn't seem to be on her side.
Britney Spears didn't appreciate Jamie Lynn's words of support during her legal battle
While Britney Spears' fans started the #FreeBritney movement to push for the end of her conservatorship, the superstar's younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, initially remained silent. In fact, the Nickelodeon alum only took to X, formerly known as Twitter, in April 2019 to post an old clip of her protecting Britney against some nosy paps. Jamie Lynn stressed that she had been her sister's biggest supporter since day one but didn't directly mention the conservatorship. However, the "Womanizer" songstress didn't appreciate the move.
When Britney testified in court in 2021, she claimed that her family members sat idly by and watched her bear the mental and physical strain of the conservatorship because it served their best interests, especially financially. In July 2021, the iconic pop star secured a win in court after finally being allowed to pick the best legal representation for her case. Jamie Lynn and their mother, Lynne Spears, appeared to be happy about the decision judging by their social media posts. But, just a few days later, Britney seemingly clapped back at their alleged support through a since-deleted Instagram post of her own.
"There's nothing worse than when the people closest to you who never showed up for you post things in regard to your situation whatever it may be and speak righteously for support," she asserted. "How dare you make it public that now you care [...] Did you put your hand out when I was drowning?" (via THR). The Grammy winner further wrote off their supposedly well-meaning words as a means for them to salvage their shattered public image amidst her win.
Britney Spears doesn't want Jamie Lynn to perform any of her songs
Britney Spears specifically name-dropped Jamie Lynn Spears in a July 2021 Instagram message. "I don't like that my sister showed up at an awards show and performed my songs to remixes," she admitted. "My so-called support system hurt me deeply." The "Lucky" singer was referring to Jamie Lynn's appearance at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, which included her participating in a group performance of Britney's mega-hit "Till The World Ends." Jamie Lynn seemed to take the high road as she also took to Instagram, a few hours later, to share a photo of herself, initially captioning it, "May the peace of the Lord be with you, and your spirit," (via People). Her elder sister wasn't about to let that slide, so she posted a dance video and captioned it, "May the Lord wrap your mean a** up in joy today." Both captions have since been altered.
Later that same year, Britney wrote another, lengthy Instagram post detailing how she questioned her faith during her conservatorship. The living legend also voiced her frustrations about being barred from performing some of her newer music or remixes of past hits, all while Jamie Lynn got to do it. The "Gimme More" hitmaker reportedly also unfollowed her sister a few days after the heartfelt post. During a 2022 appearance on "Good Morning America," Jamie Lynn confessed that she was unsure why Britney was so offended by her Radio Disney Music Awards performance because she was only trying to pay homage to her phenomenal career. Ultimately, Jamie Lynn reasoned that Britney's main problem wasn't with her.
Britney Spears had some scathing words for Jamie Lynn in her memoir
Britney Spears used two brutal words to describe Jamie Lynn Spears in her memoir "The Woman In Me:" "Total b***h" (via Entertainment Weekly). The singer argued that her baby sister called the shots around their house and completely ignored her for the most part. Britney also claimed that Jamie Lynn never thanked her for buying the family home, instead making out that it was a burden she had to accept. The "Circus" songstress felt that she was incredibly disrespectful to their mom too. As Britney detailed, "I'd listen to her spew these hateful words, and I'd turn to my mother and say, 'Are you going to let this little witch talk to you like that?'" Despite their differences, she still had Jamie Lynn's back.
When the former child star complained about how a "Zoey 101" co-star had spread false rumors about her, for instance, a pregnant Britney came to her rescue and screamed at the teenage offender. However, she later learned that her sister had made the whole story up, so the pop icon apologized to the actor, who we now know to be Alexa Nikolas. Ultimately, the best-selling artist wished her little sister had been equally supportive of her conservatorship battle. When Britney was forced to stay in rehab because of their father's hold, she messaged Jamie Lynn to help facilitate her leave and got a hurtful text in return, which read: "'Stop fighting it. There's nothing you can do about it, so stop fighting it.'"
Britney Spears wasn't a fan of her little sister's memoir either
In Jamie Lynn Spears' own memoir "Things I Should Have Said," which was released in 2022, she rationalized that she wasn't entirely aware of the nitty-gritty of Britney Spears' conservatorship. According to Jamie Lynn, she was a pregnant 16-year-old when it began, and she couldn't focus on her sister's problems as a result. The Nickelodeon alum thought that Britney's loved ones were acting in her best interests by putting her under the conservatorship, at least at first. The "Zoey 102" star also didn't appreciate how the "Oops!...I Did It Again" singer's scathing social media posts didn't allude to anyone in particular because it led people to spew hate at her closest family members. A few days after the memoir's release, Britney penned a since-deleted Instagram post that clarified her thoughts in no uncertain terms.
"I wish the almighty, Lord [...] could come down and show this whole world that you're lying and making money off of me !!!! You are scum, Jamie Lynn," she railed (via The Independent). Britney also called her baby sister out for releasing her memoir when people didn't realize that her conservatorship was sadder than they thought. In a previous post, Britney remarked, "And I'm sorry Jamie Lynn, I wasn't strong enough to do what should have been done [...] slapped you and Mamma right across your f*****g faces!" (via The Blast). It wasn't all scathing social media exchanges this time around, though, as Britney's legal team reportedly sent Jamie Lynn a cease-and-desist letter that cautioned her against speaking negatively about the pop star publicly.
Britney Spears seemingly believes that Jamie Lynn is entitled
In 2023, Jamie Lynn Spears appeared on the long-running reality survival show "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" for just a few days before bailing allegedly due to health reasons. Britney Spears, alongside tons of people on social media, mocked her brief appearance on the show in an April 2024 Instagram Story. "My sister did a TV show and they bathed her in the jungle, lil s**t," Britney quipped. "She said, 'Bathe me because I'm, like, stuck in the jungle and I miss my kids. Oh, cater to me.' Little b***h," (via X).
Her shocking rant referenced a moment in the reality show when Jamie Lynn's co-stars serenaded her to lift her spirits after an emotionally draining day. Interestingly, the Nickelodeon alum steered clear of associating herself with her famous sister on "I'm a Celebrity." In her introduction video, she claimed that she had risen to fame because of her acting and singing talents without mentioning Britney. Even when Jamie Lynn's castmates alluded to her sister, she refused to say anything about the pop star.
This is despite the fact that Britney has never shied away from publicly voicing her feelings about Jamie Lynn, particularly post-conservatorship. In 2022, the "Sweet Magnolias" star briefly discussed their strained relationship on "GMA" and Britney wasn't too pleased about it. In a since-deleted tweet, she complained about her little sister profiting off her back decades later, contending, "She never had to work for anything. Everything was always given to her," (via Variety). Despite all the shady social media battles, Jamie and Britney's relationship doesn't appear to have crumbled entirely just yet.