New Documentary Claims Britney Spears's Bodyguards Took Bribes From Paparazzi

It’s been 12 years since Britney Spears infamously shaved her head in a Los Angeles salon while the world watched in horror (or, for many, abject fascination). The “breakdown,” as it’s been dubbed, has long been a fixture of the tabloid circuit, endlessly haunting the singer’s every action in the public eye. Worse, a new Channel 5 documentary, which aired last night, has dredged it all back up.

Page Six reports that the documentary features an interview with the salon-owner who witnessed the head shaving, Esther Tognozzi. She claims that Spears’s bodyguards continued to open the blinds of the salon, allowing a photographer hiding in the bushes to snap photos of their charge. Another “insider” featured in the documentary, dance studio head Robert Baker, claims her father is the only reason she’s alive today.

“I’ve known Britney since 1998. I saw her at the height of her fame and saw her struggling when things got tough. She was spiraling out of control. She was going through the worst time of her life and needed help. Her dad stepped in and gave her the help she needed. If he hadn’t, things could have been very different. I don’t think she would still be with us today.”

While it’s easy to imagine why any father would go out of their way to save their daughter, the narrative definitely contrasts with recent news. As previously reported, Jamie Spears was almost the subject of a restraining order brought about by Britney Spears’s ex-husband Kevin Federline. The former dancer claimed his ex-father-in-law had physically accosted his son with Britney, Sean. While the charges against him ultimately fell through, it did bring about a new custody arrangement that saw Federline caring for his and Spears’s sons 70 percent of the time.