Jamie Spears allegedly hired a security firm to surveil his daughter Britney, according to a new documentary from The New York Times.
The film, Controlling Britney Spears, an extension of the company's explosive documentary, Framing Britney Spears, detailed the supposed security force that surrounded the singer following her 2008 public breakdown.
In the film, Alex Vlasov, a former employee of the security company Black Box, alleged the firm bugged the 39-year-old's bedroom and set up a device to screen her text messages.
"It really reminded me of somebody that was in prison," Vlasov, a former executive assistant to the company's CEO Edan Yemini, claimed in the film. "And security was put in a position to be the prison guards essentially."
"Recording conversations in a private place and mirroring text messages without the consent of both parties can be a violation of the law. It is unclear if the court overseeing Ms. Spears's conservatorship was aware of or had approved the surveillance," the paper wrote of the allegations.
Responding to the claims, Britney's lawyer Mathew Ronsegart told The Times paper, "Placing a listening device in Britney's bedroom would be particularly inexcusable and disgraceful, and corroborates so much of her compelling, poignant testimony. These actions must be fully and aggressively investigated."
A lawyer for Jamie stated, "All of (Jamie's) actions were well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court. His actions were done with the knowledge and consent of Britney, her court-appointed attorney, and/or the court. Jamie's record as conservator - and the court's approval of his actions - speak for themselves."
The surveillance allegations arise just days before the pop star is set to speak at another hearing about her conservatorship. Earlier this month, Jamie filed a petition to end the 13-year legal arrangement, saying it was no longer needed.
Controlling Britney Spears was surprise-released on Friday, several months after Framing Britney Spears was released in February. A separate documentary made by Netflix titled Britney vs Spears will come out on Tuesday.
