Jamie Lynn Spears says dad’s alcoholism caused ‘torment and sorrow’

//Jamie Lynn Spears says dad’s alcoholism caused ‘torment and sorrow’

January 12, 2022 | 10:39am

Jamie Lynn Spears is sharing her pain over her father Jamie Spears’ decades-long battle with alcoholism.

“He spent most of my life in that cycle of ruinous behavior. His bouts of drinking always caused me periods of torment and sorrow,” the “Zoey 101” alum, 30, writes in her upcoming memoir, “Things I Should Have Said.”

ABC News’ Juju Chang read the excerpt aloud on “Good Morning America” Wednesday before asking Jamie Lynn during a wide-ranging interview how the 69-year-old patriarch’s heavy drinking affected her growing up.

“It created a lot of anxiety,” the “Sweet Magnolias” star responded. “The hardest part was, ‘Could I trust you? Are you drinking? Are you not?’

“It was something that no kid should have to question,” she added.

Jamie’s struggles with alcohol began after he became a father in 1977, according to his ex-wife Lynne Spears.

“Jamie always enjoyed a beer here and there, but he didn’t start drinking heavily until after Bryan was born,” Lynne, 66, wrote in her 2008 memoir, “Through the Storm,” referencing the former couple’s eldest child.

Eventually, Jamie hitting the bottle became too much to bear for Lynne, who filed for divorce in 1979. She ultimately gave her husband a second chance, only to divorce him for good in 2002.

Describing Jamie as an “alcoholic,” Lynne wrote in her book that her ex-husband was “barely present, never mind supportive or loving” by the end of their marriage. She also accused him of “years and years of verbal abuse, abandonment [and] erratic behavior.”

Jamie’s battle with alcoholism continued through at least 2004, when he went to rehab after his eldest daughter, Britney Spears, urged him to seek help.

However, in 2014, the pop star told the judge presiding over her conservatorship case that she suspected her dad was drinking again, according to the New York Times. Jamie’s lawyer denied this, saying his client had passed regularly scheduled tests.

Britney’s relationship with her family has been fractured in recent years due to their involvement in her conservatorship, which was terminated in November ahead of her 40th birthday.

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