Chloe Kempe, BBC News, Washington
July 7, 2023
image copyrightReuters
Britney Spears said she was “slapped in the back of the hand” by a security guard protecting French basketball player Victor Wimpanyama in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Las Vegas police confirmed they were called to the scene at the Aria Hotel to investigate the assault, but no arrest warrant was issued.
Later on Friday, police confirmed that the guard had not been charged.
Spears said in a social media post that the accident was a “traumatic experience” for which she was not prepared.
Wimbanyama said he “didn’t see what happened,” but someone was pushed.
The 19-year-old Wimbanyama, who was at the helm of the NBA’s newly selected, was in Las Vegas ahead of his first summer league game when he visited a restaurant on Area Las Vegas Boulevard, where Spurs said she caught a glimpse of him.
“I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success,” she said. “It was very noisy, so I patted him on the shoulder to get his attention.”
image copyrightGetty Images
photo comment,
French basketball player Victor Wimpanyama was an NBA first pick from the San Antonio Spurs
Spears alleged that a security guard accompanying Wimpanyama slapped her in the face with the back of his hand, causing her glasses to fall off after they almost fell to the ground.
Spears said she learned of Wimpanyama’s account of the incident, which prompted her to talk.
“I couldn’t stop,” Wimpanyama told a local reporter. Someone was calling me ‘Sir! Sir!” She pulled me from behind.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was going forward and didn’t stop. She grabbed me from behind, not from my shoulder, she pulled me from behind.”
He added, “All I know is that security pushed her away. I don’t know how strong the push was, but security pushed her away. I didn’t stop to look into it so I could go in and enjoy a nice dinner.”
Spears said she wanted to “get the public eye on her role” and thanked the Las Vegas Police Department for their support.
image copyrightGetty Images
photo comment,
Spears’ husband, Sam Asghari, said he hopes the security guard “changes his disregard for women.”
Last year, Spears, 41, married her longtime partner, Sam Asghari.
Asgari, 29, defended her on social media, writing: “I hope the man in question learns a lesson and changes his disdain for women.”
In 2021, Spears was released from a controversial 13-year guardianship that gave her father, Jamie Spears, total control over her life.
Legal guardianship consisted of controlling her financial affairs and professional decisions, in addition to her main personal matters, such as visits to her teenage children and remarriage.
2023-07-07 20:02:52
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