Brandy and François Navarre would make a lovely Hollywood “It” couple, if only they weren’t the ones behind paparazzi agency X17, trafficking celebrity schlop to the highest bidder. Brandy, aka “Kelly”, and François, aka “Regis” (they use pseudonyms because they once had dreams of doing something legitimate with their lives) are the subjects of the much ballyhooed issue of The Atlantic that has Britney Spears on the cover.

With their five million dollar Pacific Palisades home (they’re neighbors with Adam Sandler, who they also tail), Porche Cayenne, and $80,000 from a single photo sale, it’s clear who’s profiting from Ms. Spears’ troubles. Admitting to working with Sam Lufti to target Britney Spears, or Michael Lohan to go after Lindsay, at least one rival made the argument to us that this twosome is responsible for tearing more families apart than Dr. Phil is responsible for bringing together.

Even the staffers working for X17’s website recognize how crude their employers are; they refuse to post items under their real names, fearing they’ll never get another job in the future. And favorite-playing Brandy shamelessly admits to outright lying about the celebrities she covers: “We’ll put up a picture that’s so obviously negative and we just write something so completely ignorant of the focus of the picture and let the commenters online take care of it.” Husband François is just as pleased with his misdeeds: “I don’t want to say anything, but in a way, X17 put three stars into rehab, if not in jail, this year.” How surprising is it, then, to learn they met at the funeral of Frank Sinatra? They weren’t invited guests; they were staking it out.

And don’t even start on the photographers, who willingly admit to being prepared to break the law. One paparazzo, Felix, says, “To be a pap, you have to be ready to do anything, legal or illegal.” That’s quite the business model.

Brandy and François, who provide soundbites and make regular press appearances, including The Tyra Banks Show, have been fashioning themselves into industry darlings, despite what their attorney might argue. (So upset with our coverage of her, Brandy regularly has attorney John Tehranian complain to us, threatening to sue if we don’t remove posts.)

Alas, X17’s founders volunteered to become public figures, abandoning any expectation of privacy. And if these two can criticize Britney for exploiting her children, a veteran of one competing agency suggests holding them to their own standards. Inviting The Atlantic’s David Samuels into their home, they were complicit in parading around their own kids to boost their humanity factor, argues a source. So next time you see these two out and about, notes our insider, there’s always the option of pointing your camera phone at little Adrien Davis, 5, and Remy Alaska, 3. In Touch might not buy them, but as X17 would know, someone will. Perhaps a map of where Adam Sandler lives (or this one) on Capri Drive would be a good starting point.