No Charges Filed in Altercation Involving Britney Spears and NBA Rookie Victor Wembanyama
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police announced on Friday that no charges will be filed following a brief investigation into the altercation involving pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, and a member of the player’s security team. The police determined that Spears inadvertently “hit herself in the face” during the incident.
Spears claimed that she was struck by a security guard as she attempted to approach Wembanyama near a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. However, Wembanyama stated that a person, later identified as Spears, grabbed him from behind.
After reviewing surveillance footage, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department concluded that Spears had actually struck herself when someone pushed her hand off Wembanyama as she reached up to tap the No. 1 overall pick.
The police investigation found that the security guard did not willfully or unlawfully use force or violence against Spears. No arrests were made, and no citations were issued.
According to the police report, the surveillance footage showed Spears attempting to tap the Spurs player on the shoulder. However, when she touched him, someone pushed her hand away without looking, causing her hand to hit her own face.
Spears had filed a police report, alleging battery.
Wembanyama is scheduled to make his NBA Summer League debut for the Spurs in Las Vegas on Friday night. The 7-foot-3 French teen was the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA draft and is entering the league with high expectations.
The altercation occurred on Wednesday night. Spears claimed that she recognized Wembanyama at another hotel earlier in the evening and decided to approach him at the Aria Resort & Casino to congratulate him on his success. She alleged that his security guard backhanded her in the face without looking back, nearly knocking her down and causing her glasses to fall off.
Both the security guard for the Spurs and Spears’ security team stated during police interviews that pushing a hand off someone’s shoulder is a standard response. The security guard for the Spurs said he spoke with Spears afterward, identified himself, and apologized. Spears’ security team also confirmed that she apologized.
Spears’ attorney in Los Angeles, Mathew Rosengart, has not yet responded to requests for comment on the police report.
Spears took to Twitter and Instagram on Thursday to express her embarrassment about the incident. She denied grabbing Wembanyama and stated that she only tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. She also expressed hope of receiving an apology from the team or the security guard involved.
Wembanyama provided a different account of the events, stating that security advised him not to stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant to avoid causing a stir and attracting a crowd. He claimed that someone was shouting “sir, sir” to him, and that person grabbed him from behind. He later learned that the person was Spears, although he never saw her because he never turned around.
Associated Press journalists Ken Ritter and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
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“How has the NBA Summer League impacted the performance and development of young players?”
To continue his NBA Summer League play this weekend, while Britney Spears has not made any public statements about the incident since the police announcement.
This incident sounds bizarre and quite unfortunate for Britney Spears. It’s a relief that the police have concluded it was an inadvertent action. Hopefully, she can put this incident behind her and move forward.
It’s a relief to hear that Britney Spears inadvertently hit herself during the altercation with the San Antonio Spurs rookie. Instances like these only highlight the importance of thorough investigations by the police. Let’s hope this incident serves as a reminder for everyone involved to exercise restraint and find amicable solutions instead.