Here's Everything You Need To Know About Britney's Little Sister, Jamie Lynn
Singing runs in the family.
With tensions rising between Britney Spears and her family due to the pop star’s 13-year-long conservatorship, her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, has been making headlines. Recent social media posts between the two sisters paint conflicting pictures of their relationship, so it’s easy to forget that Spears actually has a life and career of her own. An actress and singer, Spears was born on April 4, 1991, in McComb, Mississippi. She played Zoey Brooks on the hit Nickelodeon teen sitcom Zoey 101 from 2005 to 2008. After taking a long hiatus from acting, the 30-year-old is currently starring in the Netflix romantic drama series Sweet Magnolias as Noreen Fitzgibbons since early 2020. But Spears doesn’t just act. These facts about Jamie Lynn Spears reveal she’s super talented in her own right.
The Real Reason Zoey 101 Ended
In 2007, when the end of Zoey 101 was announced amid reports that Spears was pregnant, rumors spread that her pregnancy was the reason the show came to an end. Spears officially addressed the rumors on Instagram over ten years later in 2019, giving fans an inside glimpse into why she really took a break from acting.
“I just wanted to go home to Louisiana and finish high school, be a cheerleader, all that. Then I found out I was pregnant. I was 16. I’d had one boyfriend. It doesn’t make it perfect or all right. But I was judged for something that probably most everyone does. I was young. I was in love. I was like every other teenager, except I had this last name. And I made a decision that is forever my decision,” she said.
In late 2020, Spears appeared on Good Morning America and opened up about her life, from being a mother of two and her current acting gigs, to why she decided to put a hold on her acting career. Since Zoey 101 officially ended in 2008, Spears hadn’t taken up a single acting gig until her current role on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias (2020). She discussed how “weird” it felt to return to the acting scene, this time, as an adult.
“Honestly, it was so strange for me being an adult on set because I was so used to being a kid,” she said. “It was different but I really enjoyed it.”
Singing Runs In The Family
Fans had been asking for a reboot of Zoey 101 for years, so they were thrilled when Spears dropped “Follow Me,” a new version of the theme song from the show, in October 2020. The music video featured Spears’ former castmates, including Erin Sanders (Quinn Pensky), Sean Flynn (Chase Matthews), Matthew Underwood (Logan Reese), Chris Massey (Michael Barret), and Erin Sanders (Quinn Pensky).
In 2011, Spears moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music, and on Nov. 7, 2011, she held a concert at the Rutledge where she performed a set of original songs to a small audience. On Nov 25, 2013, she released her first single, “How Could I Want More,” which was a modest hit, debuting at No. 29 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
On May 27, 2014, Spears released an EP titled The Journey, which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Her second single, “Sleepover,” was released on June 24, 2016.
In 2017, Spears performed her sister Britney’s hits at the Radio Disney Music awards alongside Kelsea Ballerini, Hailee Steinfeld, and Sofia Carson, and fans found out years later that Britney wasn’t happy about it. In a July 17 Instagram post, she wrote, “I don't like that my sister showed up at an awards show and performed MY SONGS to remixes !!!!! My so-called support system hurt me deeply !!!!”
She’s A Mom To Two Beautiful Daughters
While many know Jamie Lynn for her days at PCA and for being Britney Spears’ little sister, she doesn’t get enough credit for being a mom to her two daughters, Maddie, 13, and Ivey, 3. Jamie Lynn married husband Jamie Watson (yes, they’re both named Jamie), on March 14, 2014, in New Orleans, and the couple has been happily married ever since. Watson, 39, is a Louisiana native and businessman. In Jamie Lynn’s documentary, he proclaimed himself as a “normal guy with a normal job.” Love to see it.
She Has Her Own Documentary
Jamie Lynn starred in a revealing documentary titled, When the Lights Go Out, which follows her life from child star, to teen mom, to country singer, shining a spotlight on her talent as a songwriter.
She told Rolling Stone Country back in 2016 that “music was the first career decision” she ever made for herself. “When I had my little girl, I really figured what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and what kind of legacy I want to leave behind,” she recalled. “That’s when I started writing music, and I didn’t do anything for almost five years. I was just writing, figuring out who I was as an artist.”
The one-hour documentary focuses mainly on the country star’s career, but also shines light on her pregnancy at age 16, showing the hardships the young mother endured. Now, Jamie Lynn’s life seems typical as she continues to care for a raise her beautiful daughters. Residing in Louisiana with no paparazzi, Jamie Lynn is proud that the one-hour special shows how much of a “soccer mom” she is, driving her daughters to school every day — while simultaneously pursuing a country music career all the way in Nashville.
