A former FBI agent substantiated a claim that Britney Spears’s father recorded her in her bedroom.
In a declaration filed on Tuesday, Sherine Ebadi corroborated the claim, which first surfaced in a New York Times documentary. The former FBI special agent confirmed that Jamie Spears hired Black Box Security “to place a secret recording device in Ms. Spears’s bedroom.”
Ebadi, the associate managing director in the Forensic Investigations and Intelligence practice of Kroll Associates and was retained by Britney’s law firm, said she reached that conclusion after speaking with Alex Vlasov. Vlasov is the former Black Box employee who first made the accusation in the Times documentary.
“All of his actions were well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court,” Jamie’s attorneys said at the time. “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.”
In the filing, Ebadi called Vlasov “highly credible,” according to E! News. At the request of Britney’s legal team, she personally debriefed Vlasov at the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles.
“Black Box was initially responsible for suggesting that a secret listening device be planted in Ms. Spears’ bedroom,” Vlasov told the former agent, “but Mr. Spears ‘loved’ the idea and approved and instructed that the installation move forward.”
When Vlasov was hired by the company in 2012, Black Box was already monitoring the singer’s phone. Ebadi reviewed some of the communications, though it is unclear if Vlasov provided physical evidence.
Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, submitted Ebadi’s declaration as part of a filing accusing the pop star’s father of taking more than $6 million from her estate while serving as conservator.
Britney’s conservatorship was terminated last fall, but it may take some time to reach an agreement. On Wednesday, she was back in court, fighting over whether or not she was responsible for her father’s legal fees while he was in charge of her finances.
A follow-up hearing was scheduled for March 27.
