Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
GoodToKnow
GoodToKnow
Lifestyle
Lucy Wigley

How many kids does Jamie Lynn Spears have and how old was she when she had her first?

How many kids does Jamie Lynn Spears have as illustrated by Jamie Lynn Spears as Noreen in episode 302 of Sweet Magnolias

How many kids does Jamie Lynn Spears have? As the actress is back to reprise her role in Sweet Magnolias season 3, we take a look at her cute real-life family.

Popular feel-good romantic drama Sweet Magnolias is back for its highly anticipated season 3. As well as answering the series of cliffhangers left by the season 2 finale, fans will also notice there is a new Katie in season 3, with the character of Katie Townsend being recast for the latest outing. Popular cast member Jamie Lynn Spears is set to reprise her role as Noreen in the show; the woman who had an affair with Bill and fell pregnant by him. Nurse Noreen later realized she deserved better than philandering Bill, deciding to go it alone. As well as interest in her on-screen character's life, fans are invested in Jamie Lynn Spears' home life. Read on to find out how many kids she has, and how old she was when she had her first.

Fans of the series also enjoy Chesapeake Shores - the soapy drama was written by the same author as Sweet Magnolias, Sherryl Woods. The Summer I Turned Pretty shares similarly romantic themes, drawing in viewers eager to know who protagonist Belly will end up with. Netflix hit Virgin River has left fans rooting for popular couple Jack and Mel, who are beset by setbacks on the path to true love. 

How many kids does Jamie Lynn Spears have and how old was she when she had her first?

Jamie Lynn Spears has two daughters, and was just 17-years-old when she gave birth to eldest daughter, Maddie.

The actress was starring in Nickelodeon comedy-drama Zoey 101 when she found out she was expecting Maddie Briann at the age of 16. Her daughter was born on June 19, 2008, and her father was Spears' then-fiancé, 19-year-old Casey Aldridge. The star soon announced she'd be stepping away from acting to focus on motherhood. Speaking to Nylon, the actress recalls attending an audition for Twilight, and feeling very sick while being unaware of her pregnancy. Although related to nerves, the nausea later helped her confirm she was expecting.

She said of ex-fiance Aldridge "You have your first love, or what you call love in high school. You think it's forever, and then, oh my gosh, I'm pregnant." She continued "I am mortified to have to tell my parents this and my family this. That was all I was thinking about: 'These are the people I love that I have to tell, and also, I'm pregnant. There's a human being growing inside of me, and I'm so young, I'm almost a baby myself.'"

She felt the need to hide away from the press and those feelings, and moved to live a more quiet life in Mississippi. Elaborating on this, the star said "So, I got me a little house. I put a big gate up around it, and I was like, 'I'm going to stay here, raise my baby, and figure this out because this is real life. I've put myself in this situation, I'm not condoning it or saying it's right, but these are the cards that I have to play.'" Spears and Aldridge split in 2010, when Maddie was 19-months-old.

(Image credit: Handout/Getty)

Spears later met businessman James Watson through mutual friends, and the pair married in 2014. The pair welcomed daughter Ivey Joan Watson, in 2018, and Maddie in now 15, and Ivey 5-years-old. The actress has only recently returned to acting, with Zoey 101 reboot Zoey 102 about to be released, and Sweet Magnolias taking off and re-catapulting her back into the public eye. 

Who is Jamie Lynn Spears' husband?

James Watson is a businessman who is said to work for a company that sells electronics.

Spears is proud to have a normal husband with a regular job, not involved in the showbiz circles. The couple dated for a couple of years before Watson proposed in 2013 - a New Orleans wedding followed the following year.

Writing a social media tribute to her husband on their eighth wedding anniversary, Spears wrote "I was an 18 year old single mom, when this guy came into my life, he made me laugh more then I ever had before, and his never changing consistency gave me stability for the first time in my life. I felt a sense of peace with him, and I think that's what being in love is suppose to feel like, just feeling at peace."

Watson appears to have a good relationship with Maddie, often sharing proud parent moments featuring her, to his own social media. He shared a cute picture of her in her High School uniform on what appeared to be her first day; the post was simply captioned "High Schooler." 

Was Jamie Lynn Spears pregnant on Sweet Magnolias?

Although Jamie's character Noreen was pregnant during Sweet Magnolias season 2, she wasn't actually pregnant in real life.

Although there was much fan speculation at the time surrounding a possible real-life pregnancy, Spears' bump was just a prosthetic one. She also shared several pictures to Instagram, showing the fake bump at various stages of development, and her wearing it during the shoot. 

Daughter Ivey also made a sweet cameo during season 2, with Spears writing another Instagram post announcing the news. "In honor of #sweetmagnolias being #1 today!! SPOILER ALERT MAJOR GUEST STAR APPEARANCE IN EPISODE 6!" she wrote, adding "Yes, she was quite the DIVA, but the girl knows her angles, and can rock some pig tails like no other Thank y'all, thank y'all, THANK YALL for loving this show as much as we do I am beyond GRATEFUL."  

(Image credit: Eliza Morse/Netflix/Everett Collection Inc/Alamy)

Why did people boycott Sweet Magnolias season 2?

Fans of Jamie Lynn's sister Britney Spears, threatened to boycott Sweet Magnolias as they felt Jamie Lynn wasn't properly supporting her sister through her conservatorship problems.

An apparent feud between the pair broke out on social media, with both making accusations against each other regarding poor treatment. One viewers wrote on Twitter of the boycott, saying "Still refusing to watch @SweetMagnolias  (which was a favorite) since @netflix  didn't edit @jamielynnspears  out.  It's trash now....just like her. #SweetMagnolias." 

Another added "I love Sweet Magnolias but Jamie Lynn being in it is a major downside. Not a person I'd want on my screen." Jamie Lynn did little to address the controversy, but a lengthy Instagram statement from the actress about her sister concluded with "There are no sides, and I don't want drama, but I'm speaking my truth to heal my traumas so I can close this chapter and move forward, and I wish my sister could do the same."

She added "No matter what comes, I will always love my big sister, and be here for her. It's time to put an end to the unhealthy chaos that has controlled my life for so long." 

For more news on celebrities and their children, we have everything you need to know about how many kids Joe Swash has. Similarly, people have been wondering how many kids does Andy Murray have, and we have the lowdown. If you've been wondering who Lewis Hamilton is dating and does he have kids, we have this covered too.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.