No Charges Filed in Altercation Involving Britney Spears and NBA Player Victor Wembanyama
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police announced on Friday that no charges will be filed following a brief investigation into the altercation between pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, and a member of the player’s security team. The police concluded that Spears inadvertently “hit herself in the face.”
Spears claimed that she was struck by a security guard as she tried to approach Wembanyama near a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. However, the investigation revealed that Spears had actually struck herself when someone pushed her hand off Wembanyama as she reached up to tap him.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department determined that the security guard did not use force or violence against Spears willfully or unlawfully. No arrests were made and no one was cited.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed that Spears went to tap Wembanyama on the shoulder, but her hand was pushed away, causing her hand to hit her own face. Spears had filed a police report alleging battery.
Wembanyama, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, made his NBA Summer League debut for the Spurs in Las Vegas on Friday night. The French teen sensation stands at 7-foot-3 and is highly acclaimed entering the league, drawing comparisons to LeBron James.
Spears claimed that she recognized Wembanyama earlier in the evening and decided to approach him at the Aria Resort & Casino to congratulate him on his success. She expressed her disappointment about the incident on Twitter and Instagram, calling it “super embarrassing” and denied grabbing Wembanyama, stating that she only tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. She expressed hope of receiving an apology from the team or the security guard involved.
Wembanyama had a different account of the events, mentioning that security advised him not to stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant. He said he was grabbed from behind by someone shouting “sir, sir,” but he never turned around to see who it was.
Spears’ attorney in Los Angeles, Mathew Rosengart, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the police report.
The incident received significant attention due to Spears’ status as a pop star and Wembanyama’s high-profile entrance into the NBA. However, with no charges being filed, the focus is expected to shift back to the athletes and their respective careers.
(Additional reporting by Ken Ritter and Rio Yamat)