As more details about Britney Spears‘ private life continue to be made public amid her conservatorship battle, her sister Jamie Lynn Spears plans to share her own personal story.
On July 9, since-revised listings from Hachette Book Group on Amazon and other websites indicated that the 30-year-old Zoey 101 alum titled her memoir I Must Confess: Family, Fame, and Figuring it Out. The first three words of the title make up a lyric from Britney’s debut single “…Baby One More Time,” the song that launched her to international fame.
In light of the response from Britney’s fanbase, the publisher of Jamie Lynn’s book released a statement apologizing for releasing inaccurate details about the project during a “sensitive time” for her family.
“Worthy Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, became aware earlier today that premature information about Jamie Lynn Spears’s still-in-development book project has been erroneously released online to book retail sites,” the publisher said in a statement to E! News. “We deeply regret that incorrect and incomplete information about her book has appeared in the public space, particularly at this sensitive time for Jamie Lynn and her family.”
Jamie Lynn Spears & Britney Spears’ Sister Moments
According to the publisher, the memoir is still untitled.
“Jamie Lynn’s book has been in development over the past 12 months and will allow the world to hear her inspiring story in her own words, for the first time,” the statement continued.
Jamie Lynn has not commented on her upcoming book, previously titled Southern Roots: Owning My Story with Love, Faith and Hope. The memoir is set to be released on Kindle, audio book and hardcover form in January 2022 and can currently be pre-ordered.
According to the original synopsis shared online, the book “will reveal the details behind Jamie Lynn’s highest and lowest moments” and include “never-before-heard stories that are at times funny, inspiring, messy, and uncomfortable. Like having her mom’s credit card declined at Limited Too when her sister was on the radio. How it feels to have inspired 16 and Pregnant with her own life story. Why her daughter’s [2017] ATV accident caused her to reevaluate and redirect her life. And why her family is just like any other family.”
In 2007, at age 16 and while she was a cast member on the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101, Jamie Lynn announced to OK! magazine that she was pregnant. Jamie Lynn gave birth to daughter Maddie Briann Aldridge the following year. In 2009, the actress and Maddie’s father, Casey Aldridge, ended their engagement.
Jamie Lynn later stayed away from the spotlight for years before making a comeback as a country singer in 2013. She married current husband Jamie Watson the following year and in 2018, they welcomed their first child together and the star’s second daughter, Ivey Joan Watson.
“She spent years escaping into different characters—on All That!, Zoey 101 and even in the role of Britney’s kid sister,” reads the synopsis for Jamie Lynn’s memoir. “Pretending to be other people was easy, but when she decided to start a music career in Nashville, she realized she could no longer hide behind the characters she played. Soon, the real Jamie Lynn started to take center stage — a raw, blemished, and imperfect woman, standing in her own power.”
Jamie Lynn is the second member of the Spears family to release a memoir following the publication of mom Lynne Spears‘ book Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World, which was published the year Britney was put under a court-mandated conservatorship following a psychiatric hospitalization.
The pop star’s family has come under renewed criticism recently, this time over their relationships with Britney. Her fans have often criticized her relatives and associates for allegedly taking advantage of her financially over the years and not supporting their campaign to #FreeBritney from her conservatorship, which is partially controlled by the sisters’ father, Jamie Spears. At a court hearing last month, Britney spoke out publicly for the first time about the arrangement.
Jamie Lynn tweeted in 2019 that she has “NEVER been paid a dime” by Britney. Five days after the court hearing, amid public calls from fans to speak out, the younger star said in an Instagram video, “I can assure you I have supported my sister long before there was a hashtag and I’ll support her long after.”
This week, following the publication of an investigative New Yorker article about Britney and her legal battle, co-authored by Ronan Farrow, Jamie Lynn signaled again that she was not on the pop star’s payroll. “Facts,” she wrote, “Now leave my broke-ass alone.”
Earlier this month, Jamie Lynn claimed her family has been harassed, writing on Instagram, “Hi, I respect that everyone has the right to express themselves but can we please stop with the death threats, especially the death threats to children.”
Meanwhile, the sister’s dad, who co-manages Britney’s estate and financial affairs but not her personal and medical matters, has defended himself following the pop singer’s criticism of her conservatorship. Jamie’s attorney said in a statement after her court testimony, “Mr. Spears is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.” In March, his lawyer told CNN that “Jamie believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest.”