The war of words between Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears is still heating up.
As we’ve been reporting, the release of the younger Spears sister’s memoir has totally imploded their already shaky relationship. Brit’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart even went so far as to send a cease and desist letter demanding that the actress stop talking about her older sister while promoting the book.
Related: Britney Is ‘Rolling Her Eyes’ At Jamie Lynn’s ‘One-Sided’ Interviews
Well, as you can imagine, JL did not react well to that request. Her own lawyer Bryan Freedman sent a response, obtained by TMZ. He wrote:
“As an initial matter, in your Letter you state that Britney is going to take the ‘high road.’ However, just today your client posted vile statements on social media concerning Jamie Lynn. These include, but are not limited to, statements such as Britney should have ‘slapped you and mamma right across your f**king faces!!!’ and ‘Whipped your ass’, and ‘popped the s**t out of your ass.’”
Well… we can all admit he has a point there, seeing as how the pop star’s angry missives have gotten more and more aggressive. We wouldn’t categorize it as the high road, but does she have a right to publicly express her anger after being silenced for so many years? Especially when Jamie Lynn is the one publicly airing out her sister’s dirty laundry?
We don’t necessarily have the answers, but unsurprisingly, the Nickelodeon alum’s legal council took issue with the social media tirades:
“As you know from previous social media posts, Jamie Lynn has had her children violently threatened, and we have no doubt that these new intimidating and threatening social media posts will lead to similar threats of violence. To be clear, social media posts that include cyber bullying which cause death threats to Jamie Lynn and her family, is neither the ‘high road,’ nor anything that will be tolerated.”
He continued:
“It was also disappointing to see your Letter plastered all over the media, as it would have certainly benefited all of the people involved and their respective children, if there was a private forum to try and redress any grievances.”
An inneresting point in a letter that appears to have been shared directly with TMZ, but nevertheless… The attorney went on:
“Your Letter claims that Jamie Lynn’s Book is potentially unlawful, defamatory, misleading and has outrageous claims in it, yet you admit that neither you nor your client have actually read any portion of the Book. Frankly, it is impossible to understand what you are requesting my client to cease and desist from doing since the Letter fails to specify any legal wrongdoing whatsoever. Your claim that Jamie Lynn has no right to tell her story is not only insensitive but not supported by the law.”
Just a reminder, Rosengart’s letter didn’t threaten any legal action regarding the actual memoir, just that the Zoey 101 star “cease and desist from referencing Britney derogatorily during [her] promotional campaign.” Still, Freedman further contextualized the memoir’s anecdotes, explaining:
“Jamie Lynn is a member of the Spears family. Your Letter ignores a critical fact: Jamie Lynn has suffered through her own experiences, and her own trauma. Had you taken the time to read the Book prior to sending your Letter, you would know that the Book is not about Britney, but instead about Jamie Lynn’s own experiences growing up in the same family and describing what life for her was like as part of that family.”
(For the record, Page Six calculated that the author mentioned Britney’s name 280 times in her 225 page memoir.)
He added:
“In fact, even where Britney is referenced in the Book, she is described as a kind, supportive, and a protective sister, whom Jamie Lynn looked to as a second mother. As you and your client are well aware, Jamie Lynn grew up in a family where she was constantly silenced and never allowed to have a voice. To send a Letter attempting to constrain her right and ability to speak the truth, only retraumatizes the very core wound that she has suffered from her entire life.”
Whew!
Regardless of what the “truth” is, it’s clear that this is indeed causing genuine mental distress on both sides of the issue. We have no doubt that Jamie Lynn did truly suffer trauma growing up in such a dysfunctional setting.
However, from Britney’s perspective, she only recently got out of a conservatorship after fighting for more than a decade, during which she was controlled and surveilled — and yes, she was silenced too — and NOW her little sister chose to release a book calling her “disturbed,” “paranoid,” and “erratic.” It doesn’t seem like Jamie Lynn considered how her actions might be re-traumatizing to Britney, and how her sister might (very reasonably) feel that these anecdotes were a threat to her hard-won freedom.
But the 30-year-old claims she’s “only ever done right by her” big sis, as she said on Nightline — and reiterated in this letter:
“As you are further aware, Jamie Lynn has wanted nothing more than to help her sister in any way that she can, and to offer her the same love and support her sister gave to her when she was young. Again, had you read the Book, you would have noticed the uncanny similarities shared between the two sisters and their experiences.”
Related: Britney Accuses Dad Of Mishandling Funds, Spending $30 Million Amid Conservatorship
Freedman continued:
“Jamie Lynn hopes that there will no further postings or inflammatory letters being sent to the media. Beyond telling the truth, and denying the allegations against her, as a mother, Jamie Lynn needs to protect her children and cannot continue to be subjected to death threats, and other postings insinuating physical violence against her and her family. Jamie Lynn supports Britney and as always, she hopes she can get the healing, peace, and freedom she rightfully deserves.”
We do not support the violent hate against Jamie Lynn AT ALL and we do hope that her family won’t receive any more threats. That said, it really is disappointing to see that she wishes her sister healing and peace, while taking a course of action that is actively hurtful and traumatizing for Britney. It’s such a shame to see how this is all playing out.
[Image via Sheri Determan/WENN & ABC/YouTube]
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