Jamie Lynn Spears Talks Teen Pregnancy Backlash on TLC Special: ‘I'm Not Just a Teen Mom'

"A lot of horrible, nasty things were said"

Jamie Lynn Spears has come a long way since she made headlines almost a decade ago due to an issue that still remains controversial in the United States: A teen pregnancy.

Britney Spears' younger sister's life with her now 7-year-old daughter Maddie and husband James Watson is documented on the new TLC reality special "Jamie Lynn Spears: When the Lights Go Out."

The 25-year-old "All That" and Zoey 101" alum had made headlines and drew a lot of criticism in 2007 when at age 16, she announced she was expecting a baby — and out of wedlock.

"The child star who got pregnant," Spears says on the special. "A lot of horrible, nasty things were said."

"I look back now and I'm like, 'Oh my Gosh,'" she adds, wiping away tears.

Britney Spears Gets Emotional Introducing Jamie Lynn Spears at the Grand Ole Opry

Spears has occasionally talked about her teen pregnancy in the press. She told Glamour in 2012, "Like many young girls...I was really scared to go to the doctor. And I was on a Nickelodeon show, and it [felt] especially embarrassing to ask someone to put me on birth control." She also said Maddie's father, ex-boyfriend Casey Aldridge, was her "first love," adding, "Since the day I saw him, I just wanted to marry him and be with him forever and ever."

In a 2013 interview with E! News' Ken Baker, Spears recalled being surprised to find out she was pregnant, adding, "This made no sense and I didn't understand it and I was young."

"I'm not just a child star," Spears says on the TLC special. "And I'm not just someone's sister. And I'm not just a teen mom."

The country singer's parents, Jamie Spears and Lynne Spears, also appear on program and discuss her emotional journey.

The special also documents her country music career and features footage of her performance at the Grand Ole Opry this past March. Her sister Britney introduced her onstage.

"Not only is she beautiful and extremely talented, she's my little sister," Britney said.

"Jamie Lynn Spears: When the Lights Go Out" airs June 26 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

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