Jamie Lynn Spears has addressed a long-running claim that her pregnancy caused Zoey 101 to end.
Spears became pregnant with her daughter Maddie at 16. However, she explained that filming for the Nickelodeon show’s fourth and final season had already finished before her pregnancy.
Jamie Lynn Spears says her teen pregnancy did not cause Zoey 101 to end
Spears discussed the misconception during the Aug. 18 episode of the Momarchy podcast.
“If we’re talking about a concrete misconception, it would be that everybody thinks Zoey ended because I got pregnant,” Spears said. “And that is not true.”
The actress said production on the show’s final season had already ended before she became pregnant. The episodes aired in May 2008, months after she announced her pregnancy, which Spears said contributed to the misunderstanding.
“That’s how it is in entertainment. A lot of people who aren’t in the business don’t understand,” she said. “They think we shoot it, it comes out. No, you shoot it and it comes out maybe the next year or something.”
Spears also said the show had already reached its planned conclusion.
“That’s where people are confused,” she continued. “But we were wrapped, we were always wrapped, and there was never going to be another season.”
Spears gave birth to Maddie in June 2008. She said her daughter had nothing to do with the show’s ending.
“My beautiful Maddie is not the reason the show ended,” Spears said.
The rumor has continued to follow Maddie as she has grown up. Spears said her daughter still sees comments on TikTok blaming her for the end of Zoey 101.
“[Her] top comments are always, ‘You’re the reason Zoey’s over!’” Spears said. “We laugh about it. You got to laugh at these things, because it’s pretty funny some of the things they say to her. But it’s just not the truth.”
Spears later returned to her role as Zoey in the 2023 follow-up movie Zoey 102. Maddie and Spears’ younger daughter, Ivey, both appeared in the film.
“Just seeing those two worlds collide, it was a really proud moment for me as a mom,” Spears told Entertainment Tonight in July 2023.
Spears recalled that Maddie had been able to see the production and its cast come together for the movie.
“[Maddie] told me she liked what she saw—the set and saw the production and what it was,” Spears said. “She was like, ‘Mom, I can’t believe that they’re all here because this is the movie that you’ve created.’”
TELL US – DID YOU KNOW THAT PRODUCTION ON ZOEY 101’S FINAL SEASON HAD ALREADY ENDED BEFORE JAMIE LYNN SPEARS BECAME PREGNANT?
Originally reported by Ashna Gaur for Reality Tea
