Not having it. Jamie Lynn Spears came to the defense of her big sister, Britney Spears, after a troll made a negative remark about the popstar’s mental health.
There have been conversations about mental illness on social media this week after Kanye West’s first campaign rally and online ramblings sparked speculation. The Zoey 101 alum, 29, shared tweets on the matter from stars including Halsey on Tuesday, July 21, and took the opportunity to address misconceptions about such conditions.
“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 via Instagram. “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 ♥️ .”
Jamie’s well-intended message was met with criticism from one commenter, who questioned Britney’s “OBVIOUS mental illness” in a comment on the Instagram post. The troll also asked why Jamie has not spoken out on the issue.
“You have no right to assume anything about my sister,” she hit back. “And I have no right to speak about HER health and personal matters.”
The Sweet Magnolias actress added, “She is a strong, badass, unstoppable woman, and that’s the only thing that is OBVIOUS.”
Her comments come a day before a hearing into Britney’s long-running conservatorship. A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that Britney and her father, Jamie Spears, are set to appear via video conference for a status hearing about her conservatorship on Wednesday, July 22. The hearing comes six days after Britney’s mother, Lynne Spears, filed papers requesting to be included in decisions regarding the singer’s finances.
Though there has been speculation from fans regarding Britney’s mental health and the #FreeBritney hashtag has trended amid calls for her to be released from the restrictive conditions of her conservatorship, the 38-year-old “Toxic” singer and her family have not publicly commented on her health issues.
The Grammy winner was placed under a conservatorship by her father after a public meltdown and a stint in a psychiatric ward at the UCLA Medical Center in 2008.
In January 2019, Britney announced her plans to take an indefinite work hiatus, which led to the halt of her Las Vegas residency. Two months later, the “Make Me” songstress checked into a California mental health facility. She left in April after a 30-day stay and a source told Us at the time that she felt “rejuvenated” upon leaving.
While Britney was exploring options for ending her conservatorship after leaving treatment, Us confirmed in May this year that her conservatorship had been extended until the end of August. Court docs obtained by Us stated that a judge authorized her temporary conservator, Jodi Pais Montgomery, to continue through until August 22.
An insider revealed to Us that the “Womanizer” singer “has expressed that she doesn’t want to work again because she doesn’t want to continue to essentially keep herself under the conservatorship.” The source said that Britney also “resents that her dad is given a monthly allowance, which is around $10,000 a month for his services overseeing her finances.”
Us has reached out Britney Spears and Jamie Spears’ rep for comment.
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