Britney Spears' lawyer says dad 'crossed unfathomable lines' by bugging phone and bedroom

The star's lawyer is calling for her father, Jamie Spears, to be suspended immediately after allegations made in a new documentary

Britney Spears's lawyer says her father, Jamie Spears, crossed a line by monitoring her calls. AP

A lawyer for Britney Spears stepped up demands for the swift suspension of the singer's father from his role as her guardian on Monday, saying he had "crossed unfathomable lines" by reportedly bugging her phone and bedroom.

In a court filing ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, Mathew Rosengart said a TV documentary released on Friday contained "deeply disturbing allegations" that "magnify the need to suspend Mr Spears immediately".

The New York Times documentary Controlling Britney Spears featured a former employee of a security company hired by Jamie Spears who said he monitored the singer's phone calls and text messages, including some with her previous lawyer. A listening device was also placed in her bedroom, the employee said.

Lawyers for Jamie did not discuss specific allegations but said last week his actions were within his authority as a conservator and "were done with knowledge and consent of Britney, her court-appointed attorney and/or the court".

Jamie has controlled his daughter's business affairs since 2008, when he put in place a conservatorship after she suffered a mental breakdown. The conservatorship has dictated her personal, medical, performing and financial affairs.

The Stronger singer stepped up her efforts in June to break free of the arrangement. In a surprise move earlier in September, Jamie said he supported ending the conservatorship but that there were no grounds to suspend him.

A hearing on the case is scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"He must be suspended on September 29; followed by the prompt termination of the conservatorship," Rosengart wrote in Monday's filing.

On Sunday, Britney's new fiance, Sam Asghari, said the numerous documentaries released about the singer's life have left a "bad aftertaste".

Taking to Instagram, Asghari said he hopes that coming documentaries will be more "respectful" in their handling of the star's story.

His comments were posted to social media hours ahead of the Friday premiere of FX and Hulu’s Controlling Britney Spears, the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, which was broadcast in February. Netflix's Britney vs Spears documentary will be broadcast on Tuesday.

“Apparently my opinion has increased in value over [the] last few days,” Asghari wrote.

"Past docs have left bad aftertaste. I'm hopeful this one will be respectful," he wrote of the FX/Hulu production. "I don't blame CNN, BBC or Netflix (which got me through lockdowns) for airing them because as an actor I tell other people's stories too."

"[But] I question producers who made them 'just to shed light' without input or approval from the subject. Any credit for light being shed should go to #freeBritney."