Jamie Lynn Spears Faced Backlash After Joining DWTS Season 32

It's no secret that things between Jamie Lynn Spears and Britney Spears have been strained for quite some time. Britney experienced several mental health issues during her career that led to her father, Jamie Spears, being approved as her conservator in 2008. The arrangement was supposed to oversee Britney's health and finances temporarily. However, it would go on for 13 years, restricting the pop star's ability to control much of her life. In November 2021, the conservatorship was finally terminated. Still, the singer continued to slam her family's participation in strictly running her life, going after her sister, Jamie Lynn, for failing to speak up for her.

For this reason, there was much critique when the "Zoey 101" star was named as a competitor in "Dancing With the Stars" Season 32. Some believed that Jamie should not have been chosen due to her alleged treatment of Britney. The backlash has continued, even as Jamie Lynn moves forward with her dancing endeavors.

When Jamie Lynn Spears was announced as a competitor in the forthcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars," some fans pointed out that she did not come to Britney Spears' aid during the conservatorship. In an April 2019 Twitter rant, Jamie Lynn argued that she'd continuously supported Britney. However, court documents obtained by The Blast in August 2020 showed that Jamie Lynn had been named a trustee on the conservatorship in 2018. This designation gave her the authority to shell out money to Britney's sons if something happened to her. In August 2020, Jamie Lynn reportedly asked the court to transfer assets from Britney's trust into accounts that she had control over. That same month, Jamie Lynn withdrew her request to be a trustee altogether.

Still, Jamie Lynn maintains she had little to do with the conservatorship when it began. Instead, the actor says she was more concerned with her pregnancy. At the time, she was expecting her first daughter, Maddie Briann, who has been affected by the sisters' feud. 

"When it was put into place, I was 17 years old. I was about to have a baby, so I didn't understand what was happening. 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," she explained during a January 2022 interview with "Good Morning America" ahead of her memoir, "Things I Should Have Said."

The Spears sisters seemed on the right path before news of Jamie Lynn Spears' "Dancing With the Stars" debut surfaced. In June 2023, Britney Spears revealed that she'd visited her sister at work, writing on Instagram, "I've missed you guys so much !!! Loyal girls stay home, but it's so nice to visit family." While it appeared the ladies were headed toward a reconciliation, Jamie Lynn's role is not sitting well with the "Gimme More" star. Insiders told Entertainment Tonight that Jamie Lynn's new gig coincides with Britney's split from fitness instructor Sam Asghari after being married for only a year. Additionally, the Spears family still seems to be on rocky ground following the conservatorship fallout.

Jamie Lynn does not appear bothered by the criticism. Instead, she is preparing for the September 28 premiere. She has shared a video on Instagram of herself alongside Alan Bersten in rehearsals. The Nickelodeon actor also has plans to donate her salary from the series to the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America. It's unclear where the sisters stand currently, but Britney probably won't be tuning into this season of "Dancing With the Stars."