Jamie Lynn Spears attends the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn.
Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesBritney isn’t the only Spears with the world’s attention on her.
Jamie Lynn Spears, Brit’s younger sister, has penned her memoir which, judging by an excerpt published by People, will drill deep into her painful past.
The singer and actress recounts the struggles she faced when, in 2007, she became pregnant with her daughter Maddie, aged just 16 years old.
After coming out with the news to her family, “one person after another—and there were many—came to my room trying to convince me that having a baby at this point in my life was a terrible idea,” she says. The topic of a termination was put forward.
Home “felt like a prison without a smartphone or connection to the outside world. My team believed everyone outside of the inner circle was a potential threat,” she explains. “They went so far as hiding my pregnancy from my sister, claiming, ‘It's too risky to tell Britney about the baby.' I needed her more than ever and she wasn't able help me in my most vulnerable time.”
At the time, Britney's “condition” was “spiraling into something more concerning,” she writes, in an extract from Things I Should Have Said. “They were concerned her instability at that time made her untrustworthy. I went along with what my team told me to do because I was a minor and didn't want to create any more issues. Britney learned of the pregnancy when the article was released. To this day, the hurt of not being able to tell my sister myself lingers.”
Spears, now aged 30, announced the book in October, explaining at the time that she began writing it shortly after her Maddie, then-aged 13-year-old, had a near-fatal ATV accident in 2017.
"I owe it to myself, my younger self, and to my daughters to be an example that you should never edit yourself or your truth to please anyone else,” she explained in an Instagram post, announcing the book. “I know I still have ALOT of learning to do, but I feel like finishing this book gave me closure on this '30 year long' chapter of my life, and hopefully helps anyone else out there who forgot their worth, lost their voice, or is trying to break an unhealthy cycle in their life."
Things I Should Have Said is set to be released on Jan. 18, 2022 via Worthy Publishing.
Sade will not be attending their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this week.
The English group, made up of Sade Adu, Paul Denman, Stuart Matthewman, and Andrew Hale, are among this year's inductees into the prestigious institution. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this Saturday.
However, a representative for Sade confirmed on Tuesday through the band's official website that none of the members would be attending the event.
"We're sorry that we won't be able to join everyone in person to celebrate alongside the other artists. However, our absence does not lessen how deeply this recognition means to us," they stated. "Being welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a wonderful honour and a meaningful opportunity to express our gratitude, not just to everyone who voted for us, but to every person who has made our music part of their lives."
The representative also acknowledged their manager Roger Davies for his support and paid tribute to the late engineer and co-producer Mike Pela, who passed away in 2022.
"We owe so much to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey," they continued, before signing the message: "Sade, Stuart, Andrew, and Paul. Mike Pela, the fifth member of Sade... This recognition belongs to you just as much as it does to us, Mike. You will always be our soul mate."
Sade will be joining Oasis among the artists missing this year's ceremony. Liam Gallagher previously addressed his absence in a message on X, saying the journey was "too far" for him to make just "for the night".
The other musicians being recognised at this weekend's ceremony include Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, the late Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.
