Jamie Lynn Spears is supporting Hollywood writers and actors during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in the most Jamie Lynn Spears way possible: by competing on the new season of Dancing With the Stars.
On Tuesday, the Sweet Magnolias actress appeared on Good Morning America to announce that she has joined Season 32’s buzzy cast, which already includes Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix and former Bachelorette lead Charity Lawson. According to the former child star, she plans on donating her weekly earnings to striking writers and performers.
“While everybody else in my community is on strike, I have this unique opportunity where I was offered a chance to work when my community cannot work,” Spears told GMA. “So I figured I’ll do this, and I will donate my weekly salary and just give back to them at a time where they can’t give to themselves.”
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SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment on Spears’ planned donation.
Spears went on to discuss her first round of rehearsals with her DWTS partner, Alan Bersten. She added that her 15-year-old daughter, Maddie, and 5-year-old daughter, Ivey Joan, totally support her appearing on the show—which, she would once again like to remind you, comes with totally altruistic motives.
“Typically I’d be working on different ventures but I think it’s just important that I have this opportunity,” Spears, 32, said. “And if I get up there and even if I embarrass myself, I’m doing it for a good reason and hopefully giving back to the community that’s literally given back to me since I was a little girl.”
The last time Spears appeared on our television screens, she was starring in Paramount+’s Zoey 101 reunion film, Zoey 102, back in July. At the time of its release, Spears was not able to promote the film, aside from any interviews conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
However, her new gig on DWTS, one of the most-watched shows on primetime, marks an opportunity for some retroactive, indirect promo. The ABC series, where celebrity competitors typically open up about their personal hardships, also gives her a chance to correct the public narrative surrounding her apparent feud with big sis Britney Spears surrounding the singer’s infamous conservatorship.
In a Variety profile in July, the former Nickelodeon star skirted around the subject of her estranged sibling, claiming that she “has love for every single one of [her] family members.” Meanwhile, a source close to Jamie Lynn told the publication that she and Britney had “not patched things up.”
DWTS viewers will have to wait and see whether Spears hangs around long enough to address the #FreeBritney of it all during the competition. For now, it seems like the controversial actress is at least striving for some goodwill among her Hollywood colleagues.
