Yahoo Movies Charity Rejects Jamie Lynn Spears Donation After Backlash From Britney Fans
The mental health nonprofit that Jamie Lynn Spears had pledged a donation with proceeds from her upcoming memoir has declined to accept the contribution after an outcry by Britney Spears supporters.
Fans of the singer aren’t exactly thrilled that the younger Spears sister is peddling her book “Things I Should Have Said” during the pop superstar’s painful struggle to break free from her conservatorship.
Amid speculation about the sisters’ increasingly fractured relationship, Jamie Lynn announced this month that she was partnering with the nonprofit This Is My Brave, which uses uplifting stories about recovery from mental illness and addiction to fight stigma.
“I know how scary it can be to share personal struggles, especially if you don’t feel you have the support or a safe space to do so,” Jamie Lynn wrote in an Instagram post about her planned donation. “They are doing amazing work to support and encourage people as they bravely share their experiences.”
But on Monday, the organization announced on Instagram that it would reject the contribution.
“We heard you. We’re taking action. We are deeply sorry to anyone we offended,” This Is My Brave said in the statement. “We are declining the donation from Jamie Lynn Spears’ upcoming book.”
Days earlier, Britney Spears’ fans had swarmed This Is My Brave’s post celebrating World Mental Health Day, with many slamming the group for partnering with Jamie Lynn.
“You’re accepting donations from someone who HIGHLY contributed to the detriment of their own sisters mental health,” one person wrote in the comments. “FOR HER OWN PROFIT. Completely cancels any and all of your credibility.”
“Honestly how dare you all partner with Jamie Lynn Spears, when she was a direct tormentor of her sister,” another asked.
While Jamie Lynn has been publicly supportive of her older sister amid Britney’s ongoing legal battle to regain control of her life, Britney has repeatedly taken shots at her on social media.
Shortly after Jamie Lynn announced her memoir, Britney seemed to respond by writing that he should release a book as well, jokingly suggesting titles that seemed to shade her sister’s project.
“Option #1…‘Shit, I really don’t know’ Option #2 …“I really care what people think,” Britney wrote.
In a post earlier this month, Britney sent a clear warning to family members complicit in her conservatorship. “Lord have mercy on my family’s souls if I ever do an interview!!!” she wrote.
“Britney is very, very angry and hurt,” an unnamed source told E! News of the sisters’ relationship. “She feels like Jamie Lynn totally abandoned her and let her down in the fight of her life. They were best friends and everything to each other for so long.”
Jamie Lynn, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the donation controversy. A separate source told “Entertainment Tonight” that she is “extremely upset” that This Is My Brave took “such a quick and public stand against” her.
“Jamie Lynn has been forced to stay silent for years and now she’s being attacked for finally speaking her truth,” the source added. “People fail to realize that Jamie Lynn has suffered some of the same trauma that Britney has. This isn’t Britney OR Jamie Lynn. This is about a family trauma and how it affects each person differently.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
