From Teen Pregnancy to a Country Career: Jamie Lynn Spears Opens Up About Her Journey

The 25-year-old's documentary, Jamie Lynn Spears: When the Lights Go Out, airs June 26 on TLC

01 of 10

ON DISCOVERING SHE WAS PREGNANT AT AGE 16

ON DISCOVERING SHE WAS PREGNANT AT AGE 16
John Shearer/WireImage

"It was scary – I couldn't believe it … My biggest concern was, 'Oh my goodness, I need to tell my mother and father and my family.' "

02 of 10

ON STARRING ON ZOEY 101 AND BEING A ROLE MODEL

ON STARRING ON ZOEY 101 AND BEING A ROLE MODEL
Mike Rozman

"I was on a Nickelodeon show, so I felt responsible for what these young girls were gonna think looking up to me. I put myself in an adult situation, so I needed to handle it like an adult. My age was never an excuse for me."

03 of 10

ON TAKING A BREAK FROM THE LIMELIGHT

ON TAKING A BREAK FROM THE LIMELIGHT
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

"I needed to step away from the noise of the world and just focus on growing up and becoming the best mother."

04 of 10

ON HER 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, MADDIE

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Jamie Lynn Spears/Instagram

"She's got such a sweet little heart. I feel like I've raised her with a lot of honesty, but I've also raised her with a lot of love. She's a very happy, content little girl, and there's nothing more a parent could ask for. That's my most proud accomplishment out of anything and always will be."

05 of 10

ON WRITING HER NEW COUNTRY SONG, 'WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT'

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Sara Kauss/Getty

"Whenever I wrote 'When the Lights Go Out,' it was coming from a place ... it was the first night, of course, that Maddie was away from me. She was with her dad for the first time, and I was by myself. In that moment, I called Daddy – I was just by myself, and I was just like: I want to be able to let people into that side of me because that's the story. That's why I'm doing it. As you can tell, the music moves me, of course, but it comes from moments like that…It reminds me of exactly why I'm still driven to do this … for this baby girl."

06 of 10

ON HER SISTER BRITNEY'S MEGA-COMEBACK

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Youtube

"My sister is in a badass place right now. I think we need to focus on what an amazing place everyone is in, especially her. She's kicking ass right now!"

07 of 10

ON HER RELATIONSHIP WITH BRITNEY'S KIDS (AND VICE VERSA)

MOUSE HOUSE
Chloe Rice/Disney Parks/Getty

"We spoil each other's kids. I get to have the boy time with them, and Britney gets to play dress-up with Maddie. I think it's more of a joy having a sister who has kids, too."

08 of 10

ON THE STRENGTH OF HER FAMILY

ON THE STRENGTH OF HER FAMILY
Courtesy Jamie Lynn Spears

"We are really honest. If my family is going through something, we don't try to pretend we're perfect because we're not. To the public, that can look like we're falling apart. But to us, it's just going through life."

09 of 10

ON FINDING THE POSITIVE IN EVERYTHING

ON FINDING THE POSITIVE IN EVERYTHING
Allan Bregg/Splash News Online

"What you learn is: no one defines you. As long as you're honest and hold yourself accountable, I don't believe that the outside defines you. I choose to embrace the good."

10 of 10

ON THE FUTURE

ON THE FUTURE
Blu Sanders

"I wanna do something that I'm gonna be proud of. I'm not just a child star. I'm not just someone's sister. And I'm not just a teen mom."

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