Jamie Lynn Spears’ Book Revelations in ‘Things I Should Have Said’: Britney’s Drama and More

Britney and Justin ‘Adored Each Other’

“Plain and simple, I adored Justin. He wasn’t just my sister’s boyfriend. Justin was my first example of a kind and generous young man. He and my sister were happy together for a long time,” Jamie Lynn recalled about her sister’s romance with the NSYNC member from 1998 through 2002.

“Justin was always so sweet to me, and his relationship with Britney was the only one in my life that gave me a sense of stability. That may sound strange considering how it ended, but from my perspective, they adored each other and made me a part of their relationship in the best of ways,” she wrote.

‘Heartbroken’ Over Britney and Justin’s Split

“Unfortunately, I was deeply affected by their split. The constancy of their relationship provided the best example of a loving couple I had ever seen. I was completely heartbroken when it was over and believed that it was a devastating loss in Britney’s life as well,” Jamie Lynn recalled about Justin and Britney’s 2002 breakup.

Jamie Lynn’s Troubled Relationship With Her Dad

“I always wanted to have Dad in my life, but never knowing if he was drinking caused me profound anxiety. Much of that anxiety was a result of Momma not doing what she should have done to protect me when he was on a bender,” Jamie Lynn explained about her father, Jamie. “Daddy’s behavior and Momma’s enabling denied me essential moments of my life. We stopped communicating, and yet, and much to my dismay, he would show up in our apartment in California or on set.”

Britney’s ‘Difficult Time’

After Britney’s  split from husband Kevin Federline, Jamie Lynn and her mom, Lynn, “considered moving in with my sister in Malibu, hoping to create a more cohesive family environment and support Britney, who was having a difficult time. As much as we wanted to all be together, it became increasingly obvious that something was out of whack in Britney’s world.”

“At first, I just assumed it was the fallout from her divorce and the media obsession with her. But my normally sweet and free-spirited sister continued to morph into someone else — who was disturbed and paranoid at times. Sometimes she would lash out for no apparent reason or ignore me. Invariably, Britney would feel bad and later apologize,” she continued, adding, “As far as I could tell, she lacked any kind of structure or schedule to her chaotic life. Momma sensed Britney needed help, but she kept insisting she was fine.”

Hiding Jamie Lynn’s Teen Pregnancy From Britney

Jamie Lynn claimed it was her team’s idea to hide her 2008 teen pregnancy from Britney, whom she claimed later found out via news reports. They felt, “’It’s too risky to tell Britney about the baby.’ I needed her more than ever, and she wasn’t able to help me in my most vulnerable time. Britney’s condition was spiraling into something more concerning. They were concerned her instability at that time made her untrustworthy. I went along with what my team told me to do because I was a minor and didn’t want to create any more issues. Britney learned of the pregnancy when the article was released. To this day, the hurt of not being able to tell my sister myself lingers.”

Britney Didn’t Get the ‘Help She Needed’

“Many genuinely cared for Britney’s well-being and protected her interests. But she also became a target for unsavory and duplicitous people. … In the midst of all this, she’d had her heart broken more than once and become a mom,” Jamie Lynn recalled.

“And even while she retained her iconic pop-star status, the cracks from earlier disappointments became fissures. Britney didn’t reach out for help dealing with the issues she was facing, and it seemed that almost everyone on the team was more interested in keeping the money coming in than in getting her the help she needed.”

Therapy After a Depression Diagnosis

Jamie Lynn eventually sought therapy as an adult, revealing, “I was finally ready to open up and get to the root of my difficulties. I was officially diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Up to that point, I managed well enough. But then, the culmination of everything — pregnancy, public humiliation, stress, failed relationship, et cetera — was too much for me to handle. It took a lot for me to keep it all together. I committed myself to regular sessions and I quickly felt the positive effects of being home and quality therapy. I was on the right track.”

Backlash Over Britney’s ‘Struggles’

“So much attention was devoted to Britney, to protecting their asset, that I was left to take care of myself at all turns. The only way I could do that was to try in vain to be the loyal, loving, and devoted Spears family member,” Jamie Lynn explained, adding, “No one protected me from the backlash of my older sister’s struggles or prepared me for what our silence would cost. We were a tight-knit family torn apart by money, distorted truths, and undisclosed personal issues.”

‘Enabling’ Britney’s Situation

“In recent years, and this past summer in particular, when my sister spoke to the world about her feelings regarding my parents’ purposeful strategy to garner fame, Britney’s impassioned statements included the wrongdoings of everyone involved, without any reference to herself,” Jamie Lynn wrote.

She added, “If I am guilty of anything, it’s of enabling the situation to continue by not speaking up earlier in her career. I often wonder if I had, would it have made any difference?”