Jamie Lynn Spears

Jamie Lynn Spears (born April 4, 1991) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. The younger sister of recording artist Britney Spears, she is best known for her role as Zoey Brooks on the Nickelodeon teen sitcom Zoey 101, on which she starred from 2005 to 2008.

Spears became the subject of significant media attention and controversy in 2007, when she announced she was pregnant at age 16. She gave birth to a daughter, Maddie Aldridge, the following year, effectively sending her career into hiatus for several years thereafter. In 2013, Spears relaunched her career as a country music recording artist. She released her debut single, "How Could I Want More", along with her debut extended play, The Journey.

On November 25, 2013, Spears released her first single "How Could I Want More" from her upcoming debut album. The song debuted at number 29 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs. Spears is featured on her older sister, Britney Spears's eighth studio album Britney Jean on the song "Chillin' With You". On May 27, 2014, Spears released an EP called The Journey. Jana Kramer recorded a song Spears co-wrote, "I Got the Boy," which was released as the second single from Thirty One in 2015.

On March 15, 2016, Spears performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She was introduced by her two older siblings, Britney and Bryan, who made surprise appearances at the show.

The announcement of Spears's pregnancy generated controversy, as the media was accused of using the story to "glamorize" teenage pregnancy. Some teens were disappointed with the contrast between Spears's on screen personality as a "good girl" and her real life pregnancy.

Controversy surfaced because Spears was two years below the California age of consent, raising questions about her and Aldridge's age difference, and whether Aldridge could or would be charged with statutory rape (although Spears was neither from California nor living there). It was later confirmed that Aldridge was just under two years older than Spears, which meant that he could be charged only with a misdemeanor under California law, since the crime is only charged as a felony if the two people having sex are at least three years apart in age. On June 4, 2008, while in Amite County, Mississippi, the Spears family filed a complaint against Edwin Merrino, a paparazzo who, they believed, was following and stalking the couple. Merrino denied the allegation. He was released later in the day after posting a $1,096 bond.

In September 2008, following the announcement that Bristol Palin was pregnant, comparisons between the two cases were made.

She subsequently began a relationship with Jamie Watson, a businessman who owns communications service Advanced Media Partners. After two years of off and on dating, they announced their engagement in March 2013. On March 14, 2014, she married Watson in New Orleans.