Jamie Lynn Spears Defends Her Silence On Britney: "It Wasn’t My Place"

Jamie Lynn Spears has finally spoken out about Britney’s conservatorship. in a series of videos posted to her Instagram stories on Monday, she vocalized her support for the termination of her sister’s conservatorship and addressed why she didn’t speak out sooner. “I love my sister, always have always will,” she reiterated. “As long as she’s happy.”

Over the past year, the former Zoey 101 star has received a lot of criticism from many of her sister’s fans for not speaking out more publicly about Britney’s conservatorship or vocalizing her support for the #FreeBritney campaign. Online, many accused her of also profiting off of her sister’s career.

In her statement, Jamie Lynn explained that her silence around the issue was because she wanted to let Britney tell her own story first. “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, that it wasn’t the right thing to do,” she said. “But now that she’s very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel I can follow her lead and say what I feel I need to say.”

Speaking about her big sister, Jamie Lynn said, “I think it’s extremely clear that since the day I was born I’ve only loved, adored, and supported my sister. I mean this is my freaking big sister before any of this bullshit. I don’t care if she wants to run away to a rainforest and have a zillion 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.”

She doesn’t care because “I am only her sister who’s only concerned about her happiness,” she said, explaining that she made “a very conscious choice in my life to only participate in her life as her sister. As an aunt to those boys.”

“Maybe I didn’t support her the way the public would’ve liked me to, with a hashtag on a public platform,” she said, “but I can assure you I’ve supported my sister long before there was a hashtag and I’ll support her long after. Know that.”

Jamie Lynn added that she was proud of her sister for speaking up and for also electing to change her counsel, “like I told her to do many years ago,” she said. “Oh, not on a big public platform, just on a personal conversation between two sisters, so I’m very proud that she’s taken that step.”

Last week, Britney Spears demanded to end her conservatorship in a powerful court testimony that revealed just how bad the details of her ongoing, 13-year-old arrangement are. Among her list of grievances, Spears revealed that she’s been forced to be on birth control, is forbidden from getting married or having children, was forced to take medication without her consent, and is forbidden from seeing former AA meeting friends.

Read Jamie Lynn’s full statement below.

“Hey everybody. I just wanted to take a second to address a few things. The only reason I haven’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, that it wasn’t the right thing to do. Um. But now that she’s very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel I can follow her lead and say what I feel I need to say.

Um. I think it’s extremely clear that since the day I was born I’ve only loved, adored, and supported my sister. I mean this is my freaking big sister before any of this bullshit. I don’t care if she wants to run away to a rainforest and have a zillion 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. Because I have nothing to gain or lose, either way. This situation does not affect me either way because I am only her sister who’s only concerned about her happiness.

I’ve made a very conscious choice in my life to only participate in her life as her sister. As an aunt to those boys. Maybe I didn’t support her the way the public would’ve liked 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. Know that. I mean I’ve worked since I was nine years old, I’ve paid my own freaking bills since I was 10 years old. Not that I owe the public anything because my sister knows 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. I’m so proud of her for using her voice. I’m so proud of her for requesting new counsel. Like I told her to do many years ago. Oh, not on a big public platform, just on a personal conversation between two sisters, so I’m very proud that she’s taken that step.

If ending the conservatorship or 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 prayin’. That’s all.