Britney Spears, 44, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by California Highway Patrol. Photo / Getty Images
Britney Spears, 44, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by California Highway Patrol. Photo / Getty Images
Britney Spears has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
The 44-year-old singer was detained by California Highway Patrol on Wednesday. She was arrested and placed in handcuffs before being taken into custody at around 9.30pm.
TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Spears was arrested on suspicionof driving under the influence. Ventura County sheriff’s inmate records showed that she had since been released.
Spears, who has sold more than 150m records worldwide, is one of the best-selling music artists in history.
She launched her career as a child star on Disney and found worldwide fame at the age of 16 following the release of ...Baby One More Time, her hit debut song.
The star, who appears to have since deleted her Instagram account, is set to appear in court on May 4.
In recent years, she had used Instagram to share dance videos from her bedroom, which have at times triggered public concerns about her mental health.
In 2008, Spears was deemed legally incompetent by a judge and placed under a court-approved conservatorship following a series of public mental health crises.
Her father, Jamie Spears, was given power over her decisions, from how she managed her personal and business affairs to what groceries she could buy.
In June 2021, Spears testified publicly for the first time about the conservatorship in a court hearing, calling the arrangement “abusive”. She detailed a series of allegations about the restrictions it put on her life, including decisions about her reproductive choices, demanding that it should end.
The Free Britney movement happened during this time, with fans supporting Spears during her case. Photo / Getty Images
Andrew Wallet, a California attorney, also acted as a court-approved co-conservator. He resigned from the role in 2019. The conservatorship officially ended on November 12, 2021.
However, concerns for the singer have persisted. In February, she sold the rights to her discography, prompting concerns about her finances.
She has been reported to owe the Internal Revenue Service more than US$700,000 ($1.1 million) in taxes.
An insider told Radar in January: “People around Britney are seriously alarmed because this isn’t just about one tax bill or a bad month. The money has been flying out the door for a long time, and it’s finally catching up with her.”
On Thursday, Spears was granted a permanent restraining order against a man named Donald, who she claimed had been harassing her online since 2013. He was arrested for trespassing and appearing near her home last year.
The man was seen by Spears’ security guard, who then called the sheriff’s department. He was taken into custody and “exhibited odd behaviour and made several incoherent comments”, according to TMZ.
Spears’ arrest was “completely inexcusable”, and the incident “can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” her representative said.
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