Britney Spears was ‘UNDER SURVEILLANCE’ on conservatorship’s orders, new documentary claims
Britney Spears was ‘UNDER SURVEILLANCE’ and had a ‘listening device’ installed in her bedroom on her conservatorship’s orders, new documentary claims
Britney Spears’ communications were monitored at her conservatorship’s request, a cybersecurity expert claims in the New York Times documentary Controlling Britney SpearsAlex Vlasov, an employee of security firm Black Box, says that a recording device was installed in Spears’ bedroom, allegedly capturing intimate moments with her boyfriend and childrenThe singer’s messages on her personal phone were allegedly accessible by the security firmSpears’ security team also watched her to make sure she took her medications, the source said. An attorney for Jamie Spears, who runs his daughter’s conservatorship, said the surveillance was ‘well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court’In California, audio recording without the consent of both parties is illegal, though it’s unclear if the court supervising Spear’s conservatorship was aware of the surveillance
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A security firm hired by Britney Spears’ father monitored the pop singer’s phone calls and text messages during the court-sanctioned conservatorship she has lived under since 2008, according to a New York Times documentary released on Friday.
In Controlling Britney Spears, Alex Vlasov, a former Black Box Security employee who said he worked with the singer’s team for nearly nine years, said the company had access to Spears’ phone and installed a listening device in her bedroom.
An attorney for Jamie Spears, who runs his daughter’s conservatorship, didn’t deny the surveillance but said it was ‘well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court.’
Under surveillance: A security firm hired by Britney Spears’ father monitored the her phone calls and texts for the court-sanctioned conservatorship she has lived under since 2008, according to a New York Times documentary released on Friday; seen in 2016 in NYC
According to Vlasov, Black Box mirrored the pop singer’s phone on an iPad by logging in to her iCloud account, giving them access to all of her activity and any messages she sent, including text messages and emails.
He told the filmmakers that he was asked to encrypt some of Spears’ text conversations so they could be sent to her father, Jamie Spears, and an employee of a business management firm he had hired.
When Vlasov questioned the monitoring, he said he was told that Spears’ communications were reviewed ‘for her own security and protection’ and that the court overseeing the conservatorship was ‘aware of it,’ as was her attorney at the time.
The monitoring included discussions between Spears and her attorney, Sam Ingham, according to Vlasov.
Listening in: In Controlling Britney Spears, Alex Vlasov, a former Black Box Security employee, said the company had access to Spears’ phone and installed a listening device in her bedroom
Vivian Thoreen, an attorney for Jamie Spears, did not discuss specific allegations, but said that his actions ‘were well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court,’ and ‘were done with 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,’ Thoreen added, saying Jamie Spears had helped his daughter rehabilitate her career and improve her financial situation.
A lawyer for Black Box Security President Edan Yemini, in a statement shown in the documentary, said, ‘Mr. Yemini and Black Box have always conducted themselves within professional, ethical and legal bounds, and they are particularly proud of their work keeping Ms. Spears safe for many years.’
Vlasov claimed that Yemini was ‘relieved’ when the first New York Times documentary on Spears didn’t mention the surveillance she was allegedly under.
Private talks: Vlasov said the monitoring included discussions between Spears and her attorney, Samuel Ingham. Recording without the consent of both parties is illegal in California, though it’s unclear if the court overseeing the conservatorship was aware of the surveillance; seen in 2016 in Las Vegas
‘Edan [Yemini] was so relieved when he saw the first documentary that he wasn’t mentioned, Black Box wasn’t mentioned, Tri Star wasn’t mentioned,’ Vlasov said. ‘It was his biggest fear that security would somehow draw any attention.’
Tri Star is the entertainment group founded by Spear’s former business manager Lou Taylor, whom Vlasov claimed was involved in ‘every step that Britney took.’
Spears is fighting to end her conservatorship, which her father Jamie set up in 2008 to oversee her personal affairs and roughly $60 million estate after she suffered a mental breakdown.
The Stronger singer said in June that the arrangement was abusive and humiliating.
In a surprise move earlier in September, Jamie Spears said that he supported ending the conservatorship because circumstances had changed.
A hearing on the case is scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Spears’ new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement that he would investigate the new allegations.
‘Any unauthorized intercepting or monitoring of Britney’s communications — especially attorney-client communications, which are a sacrosanct part of the legal system — would represent a shameful violation of her privacy rights and a striking example of the deprivation of her civil liberties,’ Rosengart said.
‘Placing a listening device in Britney’s bedroom would be particularly inexcusable and disgraceful, and corroborates so much of her compelling, poignant testimony,’ he continued. ‘These actions must be fully and aggressively investigated.’
Controlling Britney Spears was released Friday night on the FX cable network and on Hulu.
It follows a documentary by the same filmmakers, called Framing Britney Spears, which debuted in February and helped spark new interest in the case.
‘Shameful’: Spears’ new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement that he would investigate the new allegations, calling them ‘a shameful violation of her privacy rights’; seen in 2018 in Hollywood
