Britney Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn claims she went ‘out of her way’ to help end conservatorship
Jamie Lynn Spears and Britney Spears (ABC/Instagram)
Jamie Lynn Spears has insisted she tried to help her sister Britney Spears put an end to her controversial conservatorship.
The former child star was seen wiping away tears during her appearance on Good Morning America on Wednesday (12 January) as she opened up about her currently strained relationship with her pop superstar sibling.
Speaking with ABC News’ Nightline anchor Juju Chang, the 30-year-old claimed she had tried to help Britney “take the steps” needed to end her conservatorship, which was terminated in November 2021 after 13 years.
Jamie Lynn stated: “I’ve always been my sister’s biggest supporter. So when she needed help, I set up ways to do, 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.
.@ABC EXCLUSIVE: “I love my sister … I’ve only ever loved and supported her and done what’s right by her.” Despite their complicated relationship, @jamielynnspears tells @JujuChangABC she still has a deep love for her big sister, @britneyspears. https://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/4SzC79lryE
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 12, 2022
“If it’s going to cause this much discord, why continue it?” Chang asked Jamie Lynn, adding: “So you didn’t always agree with the conservatorship?”
Jamie Lynn responded: “It wasn’t about agreeing with the conservatorship, everyone has a voice and it should be heard. So if she wanted to talk to other people, then I did, I set that up.
“I even spoke to her legal team, who I – her legal team, previous legal team, and that did not end well in my favour. So I did take the steps to help, but how many times can I take the steps without, you know, she has to walk through the door.”
Her comments are at odds with Britney’s own claims about her treatment within her conservatorship, with the singer repeatedly calling out her sister and other family members over an alleged lack of support.
Despite the public swipes from her older sister, Jamie Lynn argued that she did not understand why there was a “rift” between the pair as she tearfully stated: “That love is still there, 100 per cent. Um, I love my sister. 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.”
Jamie Lynn star made the claim in a new interview for the release of her new memoir, Things I Should Have Said.
Elsewhere in the conversation, she attempted to clear up claims about her involvement in Britney’s finances.
Jamie Lynn was named trustee of Britney’s estate in 2018. Last year, it was reported that she was seeking control of a trust fund set up for Britney’s sons Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15.
.@ABC EXCLUSIVE: “Everyone has a voice and it should be heard.” @jamielynnspears reveals to @JujuChangABC for the first time that she tried to give her pop star sister, @britneyspears, the resources she’d need to end her conservatorship. https://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/oVQ8tEMUgB— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 12, 2022
Jamie Lynn said her sister had asked her to look out for her nephews.
“There was a time when my sister asked me, of her trust and will, if I would be the person who assured that her boys got what they needed,” she explained. “Whether she’s in a conservatorship or not, that was a very normal thing, I thought”
The mother-of-two continued: “Once I realized that she’s in a conservatorship, I felt like I just didn’t want to be a part of until maybe she was out of the conservatorship.
“There was no me overseeing funds or something like that, and if that was then it was a misunderstanding, but either way I took no steps to be a part of it.”
Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, who had overseen her finances and other aspects of her life in his role as her conservator since the legal arrangement began in 2008, was suspended shortly before the entire arrangement was terminated.
Britney Spears’s family: Jamie Spears, Bryan Spears, Jamie-Lynn Spears, Britney Spears and Lynne Spears (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
When Jamie Lynn was asked for her “reaction to when the conservatorship was dissolved”, she claimed she had been “happy” about the result.
Britney Spears previously made a not-so-veiled poke at Jamie Lynn in October, amid fan backlash to the original title to her autobiography, I Must Confess: Family, Fame and Figuring it Out, a reference to Britney’s 1998 classic, “…Baby One More Time”.
“Great news … I’m thinking of releasing a book next year,” the “Sometimes” singer posted in October. “But I’m having issues coming up with a title, so maybe my fans could help!!! Option one, ‘S**t, I don’t really know’… Option two… ‘I really care what people think ‘!!!!
“This message is to my family for hurting me deeper than you’ll ever know.”
The 40-year-old unfollowed her younger sister on Instagram earlier this month.
