Jamie Lynn Spears has broken her silence on her sister Britney’s conservatorship hearing.
Last week, Britney spoke to Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny about her conservatorship, which was established in 2008 after she suffered an alleged breakdown.
During a lengthy virtual address, the singer made shocking allegations as she described her conservatorship as “abusive”, and told the court: “I just want my life back.”
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Monday, Jamie Lynn finally addressed her older sister’s hearing, and revealed why it took her so long to speak out.
The Zoey 101 star said: “I just want to take a second to address a few things. The only reason I haven’t before is because I felt like until my sister is able to speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly, that it wasn’t my place or it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
“Now that she has very clearly spoken and said what she needed, I feel like I can follow her lead and say what I feel I need to say.”
Jamie Lynn insisted she “loved, adored and supported” Britney since the day she was born.
“This is my freaking big sister before any of this bulls***. I don’t care if she wants to run off to the rainforest and have a gazillion babies in the middle of nowhere or if she wants to come back and dominate the world the way she has so many times before.”
“I have nothing to gain or lose either way. This situation does not affect me either way because I am only her sister who is only concerned about her happiness. I have made a very conscious choice to only participate in her life as her sister, as an aunt to those boys,” she said, becoming visibly emotional.
“Maybe I didn’t support the way the public may have liked me to with a hashtag on a public platform, but I can assure you I have supported my sister long before there was a hashtag and I’ll support her long after. Note that.”
“Not that I owe the public anything, because my sister knows that I love and support her and that’s the only person I owe anything to. I’m not my family, I’m my own person, I’m speaking for myself,” Jamie Lynn added.
“I am so proud of her for requesting new counsel like I told her to do many years ago. Oh, not on big public platform but just in a personal conversation between two sisters. So, I am very proud she has taken that step.”
“If ending the conservatorship or whatever hell else she wants to do to be happy, I support that 100 percent because I support my sister. I love my sister, always have and always will as long as she’s happy. So, let’s keep praying. That’s all.”
A conservatorship is granted to those who are incapable of making decisions, such as people with mental disabilities, and was established for Britney in 2008 after she suffered an alleged mental breakdown.
The arrangement put the pop star’s estate, financial assets, and some personal assets under the control of her father Jamie, and lawyer Andrew Wallet – who has since resigned from the role.
The 39-year-old’s conservatorship has been under review since 2019 after she accused her father of forcing her to enter a mental health facility.
In November last year, the songstress tried to have her father removed as her conservator, but her request was denied.
Instead, a judge named wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust as co-conservator of her estate, alongside her father.
In February this year, Jamie failed to regain sole control of his daughter’s estate.
Britney’s ongoing legal battle dominated headlines earlier this year following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears.
Produced by the The New York Times, the film followed the singer’s rise to stardom, and the events that led to her conservatorship battle.
The film shed light on the #FreeBritney movement, and featured interviews with lawyers involved in her conservatorship.
It also showed the misogyny and media scrutiny the pop star faced throughout her career, with many viewers describing the documentary as “heartbreaking” and “shocking”.
You can read Britney’s full testimony here.
