One of Jamie Lynn Spears’ old co-stars is speaking out.

In a post on Instagram, actress Alexa Nikolas shared a lengthy post in response to her former “Zoey 101” castmate’s new memoir, Things I Should Have Said.

“I was pretty surprised to see her lying up a storm in there,” Nikolas said of the book.

She explained that she had thought she was on good terms with Jamie Lynn of late, having been invited to appear in her “Zoey 101”-themed music video.

Nikolas said that despite that, she unfollowed her old co-star amid the drama involving Britney Spears, writing, “Once again I felt Jamie was being fake. Her reaching out all of a sudden felt really insincere.”

She added, “I have no idea what is going on over there with her but I want absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Referring to a “gift” Jamie Lynn supposedly wanted to give her, Nikolas called it a “typical move for a bully to play the victim card/gaslight others while straight up lying.”

She also said Jamie Lynn never ran any of the claims in her memoir by her “because she knows everything she is saying is a total lie,” adding, “It’s sad to see someone not change after all these years.”

Finally, Nikolas stated, “Nothing that she said in her book about me actually happened. I wish I could go back in time and tell my 12-year-old self that you are actually extremely lucky to not have a friend like her. You are way better off without her. You don’t need toxic people in your life like that and you deserve better. And that’s the truth on that. I don’t mind saying all the things I should say for free.”

Britney Spears’ Crossroads is a movie about friendship. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that the young cast members naturally bonded during the filming of the 2002 dramedy. Spears detailed how the cast helped and supported each other on set — and made the movie’s friendship even more authentic along the way.

The pop star said her co-stars gave her advice on the set of ‘Crossroads’

Spears admits that she was nervous the first time she set foot on the set of Crossroads.

However, she also says that her co-stars were highly supportive. In a 2002 interview with MTV, she explained.

“Oh definitely, throughout the whole thing!” Spears told MTV when asked if the cast bonded. “I mean, they gave me their advice on things, and they’d say ‘that was a good scene, Britney,’ you know? Because I’m new at this, and I’d want to know. And if something happened with them, I’d be like ‘that was really real!’ We were totally there for each other.” 

Crossroads follows the adventures of three childhood friends from Georgia. Lucy (Spears) is an overachiever and people-pleaser. Mimi (Taryn Manning) is a troubled pregnant teen hoping to get out of town and follow her dreams. And finally, Kit (Zoe Saldana) responds to her mother’s impossibly high expectations by simply being snooty.

Together, they unearth tokens from their past. Moreover, they head out on a spontaneous road trip to Los Angeles. Their ride, Ben (Anson Mount), is Lucy’s love interest.

Britney Spears says the lead cast ‘hit it off’ from the beginning

In the same interview, Spears said it was easy to get comfortable with her co-stars from the very beginning. “So, the team of people that were working with me were amazing,” she said. “Tamra, the director. And the cast that was with me, Taryn and Zoe, the girls. And we just hit it off; it was cool.”

Furthermore, writer Shonda Rhimes said she observed the cast having a great time. “She was very cheerful, very fun,” Rhimes told Broadly for a 2016 retrospective. “I think it was so different from being on the road and doing concerts—being able to stay in one place and be with the same group of people all the time. It was the first time I think she had hung out with people her own age. When she was on the road, it was her and a team of people, but this was her, and Taryn, and Zoe, and Anson. They were all sort of the same age, and I think they had fun together.”

Zoe Saldana once said Britney Spears was ‘humble’ on the set of ‘Crossroads’

The friendships forged on the set of Crossroads evidently endure. In a 2014 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Saldana shared how Spears treated her costars at the time.

“I have a huge amount of respect for Britney Spears,” said Saldana. “I’ve always said this, and I always will continue to say it: She was the one big, big celebrity that I met when I was starting to work in Hollywood who literally was humble. Whatever was going on in her mind or in her world, it was never about hating her neighbor.”

Manning also had good things to say about Spears and her other co-stars.

“We spent months in the car that we took ‘cross country’ sharing stories, joking, laughing and had a friendship for years, especially while filming,” Manning told Us Weekly in September 2021.

In short, a road trip movie is almost always about friendship. And there’s no shortage of friendship behind Britney Spears’ Crossroads.

Source: mtv and cheatsheet

Since her 13-year-long conservatorship was terminated on Friday, Britney Spears has been "talking a lot about her career," a source tells PEOPLE

New Britney Spears music may be in the near future.

In the days since her 13-year-long conservatorship ended on Friday, the star, 39, has been "talking a lot about her career," a source tells PEOPLE in this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

But while she "loves creating music and wants to give her fans a new album," the source says "it seems like she is focusing on one thing at a time."

Britney has much to figure out — and look forward to — in this new stage of life post-conservatorship. When she found out that it was terminated in court on Friday, Britney "was crying and laughing at the same time," says the source. "She is so grateful for everyone that has helped her. She feels like she can finally breathe again. She called it the best day of her life."

Britney toasted the ruling at dinner in Los Angeles with her actor-model fiancé Sam Asghari, 27, on Nov. 14, where she had champagne "at the most beautiful restaurant I've ever seen," she wrote on Instagram, adding she'll be celebrating her "freedom" for the next two months. "I mean after 13 years...I think I've waited long ENOUGH!!!!"
Since 2008, all of Britney's personal and financial decisions have been made by her father Jamie and others under the conservatorship, which she spoke out against for the first time during a June hearing.

"I don't feel like I can live a full life," Britney said at the time, accusing Jamie, 69, of "conservatorship abuse." (Jamie has denied any wrongdoing.)

While many are excited to see Britney back in control, some close to her are concerned.

"One can hope for a normal life for her, but it will definitely take a while for her to find her way," says the source. "Her life was so restricted for years. It's like she is starting all over again."

For now, Britney is "trying to keep things positive and focusing on planning her wedding to Asghari, the source adds. "She is still dreaming of a beach wedding in a tropical location."

Source: PEOPLE.com

Sam Asghari, has accused the New York Times of breaking a "written agreement" regarding his interview with the publication.

The newspaper published a profile on the model and actor on Saturday, which covered such areas as his business venture, his high-profile relationship with Spears and her controversial conservatorship, which was terminated on Friday.

However, the former personal trainer appeared to take issue with the inclusion of specific elements, as he spoke out about the interview on Monday.

Taking to his Instagram Story, Asghari shared what appeared to be an excerpt of communication purportedly stipulating that the article in question would cover his career "as a personal trainer and actor. It would not include coverage of his fiancé or her conservatorship."

Adding a caption, Asghari wrote that he was "always learning," as he accused the New York Times of breaking "a written agreement."

"I have no hard feelings, it just comes with the territory," he went on. "I have great respect for ethical journalism and every publication in 6 years has honored the same agreement that New York Times broke. Water under the bridge."

In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the New York Times said that the publication had not violated the aforementioned agreement.

"Our reporting gives the necessary context for readers to better understand Mr. Asghari," read the statement. "There were no direct questions asked about Ms. Spears or the conservatorship, which we acknowledged in our story as a condition of Mr. Asghari granting an interview and is not in violation of any agreement."

In the article, titled "More Than Mr. Britney Spears," the conservatorship was mentioned several times, including his support of her fight to be freed from the arrangement and Spears' move to put in place a prenuptial agreement with Asghari days after they announced their engagement in September.

The article also discusses his online business, Asghari Fitness, with journalist Caity Weaver stating that it costs subscribers $9 a month and includes workout demonstrations and a meal plan containing "up to three meals and three snacks a day."

Wrote Weaver: "The recipes are notable for their bare-bones formulations (a dish labeled 'Beef Salad' requires 10 minutes' cook time, four ingredients and four lines of direction, of which the fourth is 'Enjoy'), and for the fact that at least some of the accompanying photos seem to have originated from other sources. (A reverse image search for the uncredited 'Beef Salad' photo led to a 17-ingredient recipe for 'Vietnamese Grilled Aussie Beef Salad' that, according to TrueAussieBeefandLamb.com, takes 40 minutes to prepare.)"

His publicist, Brandon Cohen, and creative director, Maxi, are also featured in the profile, with Weaver writing: "If Mr. Asghari is the heart of the Sam Asghari business, Maxi and Mr. Cohen are the palpitations.

"Maxi interrupted Mr. Asghari's interview to compliment how it was going; to grab a bagel he had left behind; to suggest answers to various questions to Mr. Asghari, some of which Mr. Asghari disagreed with; to eat the bagel; to announce 15 minutes into the interview that there were 10 minutes left (there were 45 minutes left); to request that Mr. Asghari change back into a pair of jeans he had asked him to change out of; to express gratitude for all that the interview was revealing to him about Mr. Asghari; to declare, while painting gentle curves of green emollient onto Mr. Asghari's face, 'He doesn't need makeup'; to advise that the article that would result from the interview be titled 'Starring in the Mel Gibson Movie' (Mr. Asghari is currently filming a movie with Mr. Gibson); to stand before Mr. Asghari and, while Mr. Asghari was in the middle of a sentence, dab at his lips with a Baby Phat Pink Rose Gold Glitter Hydrogel under-eye mask; to jump in with quick comments, and then say 'delete delete delete.'"

source: newsweek.com