Family first. Jamie Lynn Spears “has been taking care of” her dad, Jamie Spears, amid his serious health struggles, a source tells Us Weekly exclusively.
The insider explains, “She and her husband, [Jamie Watson], have been helping Jamie as much as they can. She’s a caretaker, even though she’s the youngest. They are a tight-knit family.”
The “How Could I Want More” singer, 28, is busy balancing a career in music with being a wife and mom of two, but the source notes that she has “put her own work aside” to help her father. Jamie Lynn married Watson, 47, in March 2014, and the pair welcomed daughter Ivey, 11 months, in April 2018. The Zoey 101 alum also shares 10-year-old daughter Maddie with ex Casey Aldridge.
Jamie, 66, had to undergo emergency surgery in November 2018 after his colon spontaneously ruptured. Britney Spears announced in January that she decided to put her second Las Vegas residency, Domination, on hold so she could help care for her sick dad.
“A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalized and almost died,” Britney, 37, wrote via Instagram. “We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him. I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time. I hope you all can understand.”
Multiple sources confirmed to Us on Wednesday, April 3, that the “Toxic” singer checked herself into a mental health facility “that prioritizes physical, mental and spiritual well-being” in the wake of Jamie’s worsening condition.
“Britney was distraught when her dad first got sick,” one insider told Us. “Then there was a period where she was handling it better and feeling more positive because Jamie seemed to be improving, but then his condition worsened and she couldn’t emotionally handle the thought of potentially losing him. It was her breaking point.”
Jamie Lynn supported her older sister via Instagram after news of her struggle broke. The former Nickelodeon star captioned a throwback picture of the pair exiting a school bus: “Yup, she rode the bus home with me after my first day of school, cuz she’s the fn best #WCW.”
With reporting by Brody Brown
