Jamie Lynn Spears Defends ‘Strong’ Big Sister Britney Amid Mental Health Concerns

Britney Spears’ sister, Jamie Lynn, is speaking up for the pop star amid growing concerns about her mental health, calling her a “strong, badass, unstoppable woman.”

Fans of Britney Spears, who have long expressed concern for her well-being, have been particularly vocal of late due to the “Glory” singer’s eyebrow-raising Instagram activity and the renewed attention to her conservatorship, which prohibits her from independently making any major personal or financial decisions.

On Tuesday, Jamie Lynn Spears addressed the conversation surrounding her big sister without mentioning her by name. The “Zoey 101” alum called for compassion for celebrities struggling with their mental health in response to Kanye West’s troubling Twitter rants.

“If you deal with mental illness or care for someone dealing with mental illness, then you know how important it is to respect the situation with privacy for the person, and the family trying to protect their loved ones, no matter how it may appear to the public, and as the public we must learn to do the same,” she wrote on Instagram alongside screenshots of various celebrities expressing sympathy for West. “I pray this doesn’t bring shame to anyone dealing with mental illness, you are not alone, and you are loved. Sending all my love and prayers to all of you ♥️.”

But then her followers quickly turned the conversation to Britney in the comments, with one fan demanding that Jamie Lynn address her sister’s “OBVIOUS mental illness.” (Instagram account CommentsByCelebs picked up on the back and forth.)

“You have no right to assume anything about my sister,” she replied, “and I have no right to speak about HER health and personal matters.”

“She is a strong, badass, unstoppable woman, and that’s the only thing that is OBVIOUS,” the “Sweet Magnolias” star added.

In a separate exchange, Jamie Lynn pushed back against a different person who criticized her refusal to clear up misconceptions about her sister, suggesting that Britney is the one who “does not want that to happen.”

“I would never speak out just to clarify things to the public, when the person it pertains to does not want that to happen,” Jamie Lynn wrote. “I’d rather take all the hate, than speak about someone else’s personal matter that they want to be private.”

In April 2019, Spears reportedly received treatment at a mental health facility for 30 days to address emotional distress over her father’s health issues. Back then, she wrote in an Instagram post, “We all need to take time for a little ‘me time.’”

On Wednesday, her family goes back to court in Los Angeles over Britney’s conservatorship, according to The Blast.

The pop star is expected to make an appearance via video, per Us Weekly, alongside her father, Jamie Spears, who stepped down as her conservator in September 2019 after more than a decade due to “personal health reasons.” Her longtime “care-manager,” Jodi Montgomery, has acted as conservator since then.

But Britney’s mother, Lynn, has repeatedly attempted to be included in the conservatorship as well. Six days ago, she filed documents to receive special notice on “all matters” in regards to her daughter’s finances and multimillion-dollar trust, according to Entertainment Tonight.

As it stands now, Montgomery will remain in control at least until August 22. The conservatorship was extended in April when a Los Angeles judge ruled that all matters were on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.