Jamie Lynn Spears is officially back and ready to take the world by storm with the Zoey 101 reboot officially underway! But not without being brutally honest about her personal life, first.
The 29 year old actress opened up to Nylon during a lengthy interview. The interview highlighted every aspect of Jamie Lynn’s career and personal life that made headlines over the years. From her days on All That, the popularity of Zoey 101, her teen pregnancy, almost losing her child and her redemption, she got personal.
Because Spears gave the online magazine unlimited access to basically ask any question fans could generate, Nylon uncovered several bombshell revelations. So to celebrate the official comeback of Jamie Lynn Spears, we’ve highlighted the most shocking takes from the tell all interview.
She created the character Zoey Brooks when she was 11 years old.
Typically a show’s writers and producers create the characters. However Jamie insisted on creating her character her own way. “We had dinner, and we talked about what Zoey should be like,” she said. “I just remember it being really important to me that Zoey had a tomboy side to her because that’s who I was. [I] was 11 or 12 years old, so I didn’t really have much opinion [on the business side] but I definitely wanted her to be very strong and confident. I do remember that.”
She was very insecure on set of Zoey 101.
While she always appeared confident on the show, in real life she was beginning to struggle during the later years of the series. “Just in the simple things of being in wardrobe every day, and for the first time not feeling great in my outfit or thinking that girl’s prettier than me… It was all those insecurities that were very much just like every other girl has, but I just happened to be on TV. I got very insecure about a lot of things, especially in young Hollywood, and that was the time where it was very heavy with the paparazzi.”
Her big sister Britney was a huge help during pivotal moments of her career.
Not only did Jamie grow up with the best big sister ever (and arguably the most popular one), she also shared her career highs with her too. Together, she and Britney created the popular character Thelma Stump, who she actually used to audition for her spot on All That, while on Brit’s tour bus.
“I combined her bodyguard, Big Rob, and my grandmother, Granny Lexie. I was playing an old lady bodyguard while on tour.” Years later, she and Britney also co-wrote the song ‘Follow Me’ for Zoey 101, which turned into the theme song the series used. “She would help me sing exactly how I want to sing because she knew I could sing, but I was so shy about it for some reason. My sister pulled together this song, and then she came in the studio with me and made sure I felt comfortable. But we never actually released a version of it.”
Producers initially considered Spears for the movie Twilight.
In one of the more strange revelations made, the actress revealed that twelve years ago someone asked her to audition for a role in Twilight. Although she thought it was ridiculous, she still went to the audition. Jamie Lynn Spears learned about her pregnanacy around this time, so she ultimately didn’t take the role. Crazy to think she could have been a vampire!
She was not pregnant during the final season of Zoey 101.
Due to popular conspiracies, Spears cleared the air with a very honest answer for fans during the interview. “Even today, people still have their thoughts about it. I didn’t become pregnant until probably six months after we wrapped or something like that, but some of the episodes had not aired yet. I think that there was a conversation with Nickelodeon, rightfully so, of, ‘Do we air these episodes?’ But the show wrapped up without any negotiations of additional seasons. We were too old. It was done.”
The star is no stranger to the rumors that her daughter Maddie was the reason the show ended. In fact, many people have angrily tweeted those disgusting comments at her for 12 years, some have even yelled at her and her daughter in public.
She got real about revealing to her parents about getting pregnant.
Jamie Lynn Spears wasn’t worried about how the world viewed her. Instead, she was just a typical teenager trying to process the fact that a human was growing inside of her. “You have your first love, or what you call love in high school. You think it’s forever, and then, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m pregnant. I am mortified to have to tell my parents this and my family this. I do not care what TMZ thinks about it.'” You know, totally relatable if you ask me.
Surprisingly enough, though, Jamie’s mother, Lynne, felt very proud of the way her daughter handled the situation. She said, “Although her teenage years were few, she grasped motherhood immediately and fully. She focused only on trying to make the best decisions for her baby and herself… in that order.”
Her break from the public eye was intentional.
When the pregnancy news broke in 2010, the paparazzi harrassed the teen star daily while she just tried to hide in a small town in Mississippi. Although her plan didn’t fully work, she knew that if she laid low they would slowly go away, and she’d be able to have a semi normal life with her new baby, Maddie.
She’s a successful song writer.
Not many people know that after she left the spotlight to become a full time mom, a year later she moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting. Her biggest collaboration happened to be with Jana Kramer where together they wrote Jana’s entire album, and the smash single I Got The Boy that went on to win many awards. She also dropped her own country EP The Journey in 2014 that gained radio play throughout the US.
Zoey 101 is coming back!
On Thursday, October 22 the official kick off to the Zoey 101 revival will begin when Spears releases an update version of the intro song, Follow Me. Chantel Jeffries worked with Spears to give the updated version of the intro a techno edge and lyrics for 2020 (but hopefully more positive than what this year has actually been).
Spears also confirmed that an adult version of the show targeted for young adults who were fans of the original is also in the works. (Cheers to finally seeing Zoey and Chase banging!)
While early production shut down due to COVID, they do plan on starting the planning process by the end of this year and hopefully filming in early 2021.
It’s crazy to think the 11 year old dressed as an old grandma who loves bacon is now almost 30, married and a mother of two. Despite her teen pregnancy, she’s still been an influence to many young woman and have proved that not all child stars turn crazy. Instead, she’s lived a normal life and is slowly planning on coming back into the public eye all while maintaining her privacy.
“[The media attention is] a whole family thing with us… But for me, this is what I love to do. This is how I work. I can’t not do that. It’s not good for me and it’s not good for my children to see me deny myself of something I love to do… I don’t want to feel like I have to hold myself back in any way because I can be a mother, I can be a wife, I can be a daughter, I can be a sister, and I can be an artist.
“I put so much into my personal life and really building that to be strong, that now it’s time for me. My ultimate thing is just continuing doing stuff that I love and that serves me and my family, and hopefully brings some happiness into the world, and for heaven’s sake, gives those Zoey fans what they want.”
Amen, girl, amen.
In addition to the Zoey 101 reboot, she will also be on season two of Netflix’s Sweet Magnolia’s and has a few other projects as well. 2021 looks like it’s going to be a really great year… Yet, I still don’t think we’ll live our childhood dreams at PCA… But that’s okay. As long as we can see what it’s like as adults I think we’ll be fine.
Featured image via Jamie Lynn Spears Instagram
