Jamie Lynn Spears faces criticism following Britney's allegations of family abuse

Jamie Lynn Spears has found herself in the eye of a Twitter storm in light of the latest developments in the #FreeBritney movement. 

Britney Spears' younger sister has been criticized by fans of the American pop icon following the shocking revelations in her plea to end her legal conservatorship at a Los Angeles courthouse last Wednesday. 

Britney accused her family of failing to intervene when her father approved the terms of the controversial arrangement, leading her supporters to demand Jamie Lynn Spears be dropped from the cast of the popular Netflix drama series. 

Britney, who has been under the financial control of Jamie Spears since 2007, made a number of allegations against both her lawyers and her family in the passionate 20-minute testimony. The Grammy Award-winning singer told Judge Brenda Penny that the conditions of the conservatorship have severely damaged her wellbeing, restricting her from marrying her boyfriend Sam Asghari and choosing her own work hours. 

Perhaps most shocking was the allegation of Britney's forced IUD—a violation that has prevented her from fulfilling her desire to have another baby. 

"Not only did my family not do a goddamn thing, my dad was all for it," Britney said in her statement. "My own family did nothing." 

She also said her family made her feel "stupid" by talking to the press about the issue, while she was simultaneously told she couldn't speak openly about it. 

Jamie Lynn, who was named as a trustee of Britney's $60 million estate in 2018, has now come under fire for her role in the high-profile conservatorship. Some Britney fans have called on Netflix to fire the former Nickelodeon star from the second season of Sweet Magnolias, even setting up a change.org petition to gain support for their mission. 

Jamie Lynn has since deactivated her Instagram comment section, which was flooded with hateful remarks following Britney's testimony. 

Jamie Watson, Jamie Lynn's husband, has spoken out in response to the criticism, denying the allegations of abuse charged at the Spears family. "I can assure you her family loves her and wants the best for her," he told the New York Post. 

"I wouldn’t be around people who weren’t. Who wouldn’t want to be in support of Britney?"

While Jamie Lynn has mostly refrained from making any direct statements on the Free Britney movement, she did reference the issue at one point last year. In a comment on Instagram, the country music singer implied that her ongoing silence was requested by Britney herself. 

“I would never speak out just to clarify things to the public, when the person it pertains to does not want that to happen,” she wrote.

“I’d rather take all the hate, [than] speak about someone else’s personal matter, that they want to be kept private.”

Netflix has not yet responded to the calls to remove Jamie Lynn from the second season of Sweet Magnolias, which is scheduled to hit the streaming platform in 2022. The mother-of-two's addition to the cast of the romantic drama in 2020 marked her first acting gig since her role as teenager Zoey Brooks in the 2005 kids' show, Zoey 101. 

While the fanbase of Jamie Lynn Spears seems to have declined, support for her older sister is stronger than ever. Reactions to Britney Spears's hearing are flooding Twitter, with Mariah Carey, Rose McGowan, and even Justin Timberlake weighing in to share their solidarity with the Toxic singer. 

"Britney Spears has every right to be angry," Rose wrote. "How would you feel if your life was stolen, dissected, mocked? I pray she gets to live your life [sic] on her terms. STOP CONTROLLING WOMEN." 

Halsey also took to Twitter to send her love, posting, "Bless Britney and I hope with my whole heart she is awarded freedom from this abusive system. She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today." 

While Britney's court testimony has undoubtedly been successful in rallying public support for the musician, it's just the first step in a long road to freedom. If she wants the conservatorship to end, she must prove to the judge she is capable of making her own decisions about her personal affairs. "The judge will not terminate this conservatorship lightly or without ample evidence," said MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos. 

Britney's next court hearing is scheduled for July 14.