Britney Spears' sister Jamie Lynn has spoken for the first time since the release of a controversial documentary about the pop singer. The 29-year-old posted two stories on her Instagram on Friday, in which she seemingly backed her sibling and criticised the media.
"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind", read the first story.
Later Jamie wrote:
"Dear media, try not to repeat the mistakes of your past", she warned. "Look where that got us. Do better".
The first post appears to echo a statement Britney recently made after The New York Times documentary was aired. The pop star wrote that there are two sides to every story.
Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives 🌹🌸🌷🌼!!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person's life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens 📷✨ !!!!
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 9, 2021
Key Points in the Documentary
As mentioned earlier, the movie provides a more detailed account of the singer's private life. It focused on several controversial topics:
- How the paparazzi and media scrutiny turned the singer's life into hell. In particular, how the media made allegations that the singer was unfaithful to Justin Timberlake, whom she dated for three years and vilified Spears for the breakup with the NSYNC member;
- The media followed the singer everywhere and criticised her every misstep, in particular, the creators of the documentary showed how Spears was demonised when the paparazzi filmed her placing her son on her lap in a car;
- A large part of the movie was dedicated to the singer's conservatorship. After a series of mental breakdowns in 2008, which saw Spears shave her head and attack paparazzi with an umbrella, the singer was placed in a psychiatric ward. That same year, a court appointed her father Jamie Spears as her guardian, effectively giving him control of her life. The documentary says that Spears was opposed to the conservatorship and suggests that she only agreed because that would give her a chance to see her two sons.
What Was the Response to Documentary?
The movie was branded as heartbreaking by the singer's fans, especially those part of the #FreeBritney movement, who claim that she is being kept prisoner by her father and other members of the family. The campaign has existed for more than a decade and is supported by several celebrities, including actress Rose McGowan, socialite Paris Hilton, and singer Miley Cyrus.
The release of the movie seems particularly important as Spears has been engaged in a long court battle against her father. According to the singer's lawyer she doesn't want Jamier to be her guardian and even vowed to not perform again as long as he remains in control of her life.
Justin Timberlake issued an apology to Spears as well as another pop star Janet Jackson. The 40-year-old said he benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.
"I've seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right", Timberlake wrote in his post.
The singer's ex-husband Kevin Federline, with whom Spears has two children, did not publicly speak about the documentary, but his attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan voiced his opinion. He said he believes the accusations against the singer's father are not valid.
"I think there are many different layers of protection for Britney Spears as a conservatee, and I don't think anyone should be worried that in some way it's being abused for persons who have control with a conflict of interest...", Kaplan told Fox Television Stations. "I don't think that's a valid — it's a concern, but I don't think it's one that's founded in actuality".
In fact, the attorney contends that Britney has benefited a lot of from the conservatorship.
"Prior to the conservatorship being placed over Ms Spears, her finances were in a terrible state of disarray, there were multiple lawsuits around for breaches of contract and things like that, and now based on what I've seen in the press, her estate is worth $50, $60 million, so from that standpoint it seems to me the conservatorship has benefited her financially in that regard. The tradeoff as far as how it impacts her personal freedom or creativity, I can't speak on that", Kaplan said adding that Kevin Federline expressed no opinion on the singer's attempts to end the conservatorship and "has no desire to get involved on that side".
Spears' current boyfriend actor Sam Asghari too spoke out about the issue of conservatorship. The 26-year-old harshly criticised the singer's father calling him a "d**k".
"Now it's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way. I won't be going into details because I've always respected our privacy but at the same time I didn't come to this country to not be able to express my opinion and freedom", the actor said.
