Zoey 101 Star Jamie Lynn Spears Denies Show Was Canceled Because of Teen Pregnancy
Former Nickeloden star Jamie Lynn Spears has denied rumors that her show, Zoey 101, was cancelled because of her teen pregnancy.
Speaking on the Momarchy Podcast, Spears was asked about assumptions people have had about her over the years. She noted that while there's a lot, the biggest one stems from Zoey 101 ending around the time of her pregnancy. The actress became pregnant with her first child at 16 years old, which was also around the time the final season of the show aired. At the time, viewers speculated that Nickelodeon canceled the show because Spears was a teen mom, resulting in some potentially bad optics.
Spears said this is definitively not true. The last season had already been shot and was planned to be the last season well before she got pregnant.
"Everybody thinks Zoey [101] ended because I got pregnant," said Spears. "That is not true. [...] The biggest story then was, 'Oh, it ended because you got pregnant.' No, we were done shooting, completely done shooting. The rest of the season hadn't aired, and that's how it is in entertainment.
"A lot of people who aren't in the business don't understand. They think you shoot it, then it comes out. No, you shoot it, and it comes out maybe the next year. So, I think that's where people were confused. We were wrapped. We were always wrapped. There was never going to be another season. My beautiful Maddie is not the reason the show ended."
The actress also noted that her daughter is active on TikTok and the top comments always blame her for the show ending. Spears said the two joke about it and laugh about it, but made it clear there's no truth to those claims. Instead, like many shows of its kind, Zoey 101 ended after its fourth season. Spears and many other Zoey 101 cast members reunited in 2023 for Zoey 102, a sequel film to the TV series.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.