A young actor whose television show is popular with U.S. children is about to have a child herself. Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old sister of Britney Spears, announced her pregnancy to a U.S. magazine.
Spears is the star of a wholesome kids show called "Zoey 101." She revealed she's 12-weeks pregnant to "OK! Magazine" for an upcoming issue.
She said the news was unexpected for her and the baby's father, boyfriend Casey Aldridge.
"It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she said. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he," she told the magazine.
The news was also a shock to Britney Spears, who reportedly spent Tuesday trying to confirm the news because her younger sister hadn't told her, according to gossip sites.
Meanwhile, a publisher has indefinitely delayed releasing a book about parenting written by Spears' mother.
"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" had been scheduled to be released on May 11, Mother's Day.
After confirming her pregnancy with a home test and doctor's visit, Spears said she wanted to keep the news to herself.
"I took two weeks to myself where I didn't tell anybody," she said.
"Only one of my friends knew because I needed to work out what I would do for myself before I let anyone's opinion affect my decision. Then I told my parents and my friends. I was scared, but I had to do what was right for me."
Spears relayed to the news to her parents shortly before Christmas. She said it took at least a week for her mother Lynne to become supportive.
"I didn't believe it because Jamie Lynn's always been so conscientious. She's never late for her curfew. I was in shock. I mean, this is my 16-year-old baby," Spears' mother told the magazine.
When asked if she wanted to send a message to teens about premarital sex, Spears said: "I definitely don't think it's something you should do; it's better to wait," she told the magazine. "But I can't be judgmental because it's a position I put myself in."
Spears, who is currently still in high-school, plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana, "so it can have a normal family life."
Sex education in that state largely focuses on abstinence, and Louisiana has one of the highest teen birthrates in the U.S.
Nationwide, the number of teen pregnancies has risen for the first time in 14 years, and the U.S. has a teen birthrate equal to a developing country.
A 2002 UN report found that for every 1,000 female teenagers in the U.S. between 15 and 19, there were 53 births. That's a higher rate than Thailand or India.
In Canada, it's just 16.
In the show "Zoey 101," Spears plays a high-school student with a "combination of brains and beauty" who is "definitely someone you'd want to hang with," Nickelodeon's website reads.
Nickelodeon responded to the report, by issuing the following statement:
"We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being."
The series will wrap up its third season on Jan. 4 and is scheduled to resume in February. Producer Dan Schneider has said filming on the fourth season has already been completed.
Spears' older sister Britney, 26, is in the midst of a custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline over their two young sons -- two-year-old Sean Preston and Jayden James, one.
With files from The Associated Press
