UP NEXT
Jamie Lynn Spears is breaking her silence about her sister’s conservatorship and showing her support publicly.
Days after Britney Spears addressed a Los Angeles court in the ongoing battle over her conservatorship, her younger sister, 30, took to Instagram to stand by her sister and defend their relationship.
“I just want to take a second to address a few things,” Jamie Lynn said in a lengthy video posted Monday. “The only reason I hadn’t before is because I felt like until my sister was able to speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly that it wasn’t my place and it wasn’t the right thing to do. But now that she’s very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel like I can follow her lead and say what I feeI I need to say.”
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Britney’s conservatorship began in 2008 after she suffered a mental breakdown in 2007. During Wednesday’s hearing, the singer spoke out against her “abusive” conservatorship, which is partly managed by her father, James “Jamie” Spears, and admitted that she “would honestly like to sue my family.”
USA TODAY reached out to Britney’s attorney for comment.
In response, the “Zoey 101” actress made it clear that she has “only loved, adored and supported” her big sister, preferring to do so privately rather than on a public platform.
© Jeffrey Bottari, NBAE/Getty Images
Jamie Lynn Spears, right, weighed in on her sister Britney’s ongoing conservatorship battle in an emotional video message Monday.
Biggest revelations: Britney Spears details ‘abusive’ conservatorship in court.
Celebrities showing support for Britney: Justin Timberlake, Meghan McCain, more celebs support Spears after shocking speech
“I don’t care if she wants to run away to a rainforest and have zillion babies in the middle of nowhere, or if she wants to come back and dominate the world the way she has done so many times before, because I have nothing to gain or lose either way,” she said, adding that she’s “only concerned about (Britney’s) happiness.”
Starting to get emotional, Jamie Lynn acknowledged that she hadn’t publicly addressed her sister’s conservatorship in the past but reassured that she’s always prioritized Britney’s happiness behind the scenes.
Video: Jamie Lynn Spears’ Husband Says Family Is in ‘Support of Britney’ and Want the ‘Best for Her’ (People)
UP NEXT
“Maybe I didn’t support her the way the way the public would like me to with a hashtag on a public platform, but I can assure you I’ve supported my sister long before there was a hashtag and I’ll support her long after.”
She went on to address critics and clarify that the conservatorship does not affect her personal or financial life.
“I paid my freaking bills since I was 10 years old. Not that I owe the public anything, because my sister knows I love and support her,” she said. “I’m not my family. I’m my own person. And I’m speaking for myself,” she said.
Jamie Lynn concluded by saying she’s “very proud” of Britney for speaking up and telling her truth
“I’m so proud of her for using her voice. I’m so proud of her for requesting new counsel like I told her many years ago — not on a public platform but just in a personal conversation between two sisters,” she said.
“If ending the conservatorship and flying to Mars or whatever the hell else she wants to do to be happy – I support that 100% because I support my sister. I love my sister. Always have, always will. As long as she’s happy. So let’s keep praying. That’s all.”
Jamie Lynn Spears: Why she decided to ‘hide away’ during pregnancy
Wellness: Britney Spears forced IUD sparks important conversations about disability, reproductive rights
On Wednesday, Britney addressed a court herself for the first time in more than two years, calling her conservatorship “abusive” in an emotional 20-minute speech.
Until now, Britney, 39, has remained relatively mum on her 13-year-long conservatorship – managed by her father and Bessemer Trust Co. over her estate, and professional conservator Jodi Montgomery over her person. She joined a court hearing following the increased interest in her conservatorship after the release of The New York Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” documentary and the #FreeBritney movement organized by her fans.
“I’m not here to be anyone’s slave,” Spears said while appearing in court remotely via telephone. “I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy. It’s a lie. I thought that maybe if I said it enough, I would maybe become happy because I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized … I’m so angry it’s insane. And I’m depressed.”
Celebrities including Justin Timberlake and Khloé Kardashian have showed support for Britney following her chilling statements at the hearing.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time,” Timberlake wrote on Twitter, before alluding to their tumultuous courtship in the early 2000s. “Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right.”
Read Britney Spears’ full statement: ‘I am traumatized’
Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, Cydney Henderson, Maria Puente
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Lynn Spears says she’s ‘only loved, adored and supported’ Britney in emotional video message
