What Britney Spears' Former Bodyguards Have Said About Her
This article contains mentions of physical abuse, drug use, and sexual harassment.
Britney Spears has lived with bodyguards for most of her life, and in that time, a few have left her employment. Unfortunately for the star, not all of them have left with the fondest of memories. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the drama has played out very publicly.
Spears' first former bodyguard drama came in 2006. In March of that year, it was reported that three bodyguards who had been dismissed the year before were suing the star. Their complaint? In addition to not-so-great working conditions, which included nearly 24-hour days sans overtime (or meals, in some cases), they hadn't been paid their proper dues. That June, a judge ruled that the case would need to be settled in arbitration. The former bodyguards' lawyer said they were planning on challenging that with an appeal, but that didn't occur.
Due to the case being settled in arbitration, it's unknown what happened between Spears and her former employees. However, it wouldn't be the last time the singer would face ex-bodyguard drama. Ex-bodyguards, Fernando Flores and Tony Barretto, in particular, have been incredibly vocal about their experiences working for the singer. Both have made some very damning claims about Spears' parenting — and Flores even went on to sue her for sexual harassment.
There were concerns regarding her children
Britney Spears' second brush with an ex-bodyguard came in 2007. At the time, the singer was in the midst of her custody battle over sons Sean and Jayden Federline. CBS News reported that the presiding judge had called for Spears to submit to regular drug testing, and just under a week later, her former bodyguard, Tony Barretto, revealed that he had played a part in that. He said he had been an unnamed witness in the case and claimed that he'd seen the pop star use drugs on more than one occasion.
As for why he'd opted to tell the court about what he saw, Barretto revealed to Today that he was concerned for the wellbeing of her sons. It was a sentiment that another ex-bodyguard, Fernando Flores, would echo a few years later when he decided to go public about his own experience working with Spears.
In a 2010 lawsuit against Spears (more on that in a bit), Flores claimed that he'd also seen Spears make some questionable choices regarding her kids. For one, in court documents obtained by Radar, Flores alleged that Spears had used his belt to hit one of her sons. Granted, another former employee rubbished the claims, anonymously telling The Sun, "Britney may have been a little out of control herself sometimes, but never would harm her babies, never in a million years would she hurt them" (via Fox News).
Fernando Flores made some serious accusations
Though Fernando Flores' lawsuit against Britney Spears made mention of the singer's kids, that wasn't the reason for him suing her. Far from it, Flores sued Spears for sexual harassment.
Flores made several disturbing claims against the pop star. Including claims that Spears exposed herself more than once. Per Radar, Flores claimed that on one of those occasions, he was asked to retrieve a soda Spears had requested — while naked — and he claimed, "She mumbled, 'What are you, a f**king f***ot?'" Spears' camp denied the claims outright. In a response to the situation, a spokesperson for Spears accused Flores of trying to cash in on his connection to the singer.
Even so, Spears ultimately settled with Flores in 2012, but he has continued to speak out against her. In 2021, he even defended the singer's controversial conservatorship in an interview with the Mirror. "If Britney overturns the conservatorship, I worry that the madness that surrounded her before will return," he told the outlet. Once Spears' conservatorship had ended, he said he felt the people around her weren't trustworthy. Spears' past bodyguards have had a ton to say about her over the years — and something tells us, they'll continue to do so.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).