BRITNEY Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn has called on fans to “respect” Kanye West amid the rapper’s ongoing breakdown which has seen him make a number of shocking claims.

Former Disney star Jamie Lynn shared a tweet by Halsey which read: “If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence.”

Jamie Lynn is incredibly close with her sister[/caption]

In response, the 29-year-old – who supported her sister, Britney, through a very public meltdown in 2008 – added: “If you deal with mental illness or care for someone with mental illness, then you know how important it is to respect the situation with privacy for the person, and the family trying to protect their loved ones, no matter how it may appear to the public, and as the public we must learn to do the same.

“I pray this doesn’t bring shame to anyone dealing with mental illness, you are not alone, and you are loved. Sending all my love and prayers to all of you.”

Concerns for Kanye’s wellbeing have been raised after he claimed his wife Kim Kardashian “tried to bring a doctor to lock me up”.

The accusations came after a rally in South Carolina in which he broke down in tears and alleged Kim considered aborting their eldest daughter North in 2013.

Kanye – who has also launched a bid to run for President in November – then shared a string of tweets in which he claimed his mother-in-law Kris Jenner was not allowed to spend time with his four children.

He also criticized her parenting for allowing Kim and youngest daughter Kylie to pose for Playboy magazine.

The 43-year-old also claimed that his life was like the 2017 film Get Out, in which a Black man is tormented by his white girlfriend’s family.

The rapper’s behavior in recent weeks has caused concern that he is in the midst of a manic episode caused by his bipolar disorder.

He has previously opened up on his experience with bipolar, telling David Letterman in 2019: “When you’re in this state, you’re hyper-paranoid about everything.

“Everyone — this is my experience, other people have different experiences — everyone now is an actor.

“Everything’s a conspiracy. You feel the government is putting chips in your head.

“You feel you’re being recorded. You feel all these things.”

Kim appeared in the December 2007 issue of the magazine[/caption]

He tweeted: ‘I put my life on my God that North’s mom would never photograph her doing Playboy and that’s on God’[/caption]

He added: “You have this moment [where] you feel everyone wants to kill you. You pretty much don’t trust anyone.”

Britney had a very public mental breakdown in 2007 which saw the distressed star shave her own head before attacking a photographer’s car with an umbrella.

Months later Britney was stretchered away from her home in an ambulance after a four-hour standoff when she locked herself in a bathroom; she was then placed under a 5150 hold which allows a person with a mental illness to be involuntarily detained for a 72-hour psychiatric hospitalization.

In the following months, she lost custody of her two sons and a conservatorship was implemented, leaving Britney with no legal control over her estate or financial and personal assets.

Britney shaved her head and attacked paparazzi with an umbrella in 2007[/caption]

The conservatorship is still in place until at least August 2020; Britney currently has 30% custody of Jayden and Sean, who live full time with their father Kevin Federline.

Jamie and Britney, 38, are very close and Jamie publicly supported Britney when she chose to enter a wellness facility for 30 days in 2019.

Sharing a throwback picture of the pair walking off a school bus, Jamie captioned the post: “Yup, she rode the bus home with me after my first day of school, cus she’s the fn best #WCW [Woman Crush Wednesday].”