Britney Spears has been arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence after being pulled over in Ventura County on Wednesday night, local time. The 44-year-old pop star was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol at around 9:30pm and later booked into jail, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office records and multiple US outlets.
Records show she was processed in the early hours of Thursday morning and released a few hours later. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 4 in Ventura County in connection with the arrest.
TMZ reports that Spears was alone in the car when she was stopped in the Westlake Village area, not far from her home, and that she was taken to a hospital so her blood could be drawn to determine her blood alcohol level. Law enforcement sources told the outlet she was handcuffed at the scene before being transported and later booked. Officials have not released any test results, and it is still unclear whether alcohol, drugs, or a combination are alleged.
Some reports note that her Instagram account has been deactivated since the arrest, though no explanation has been given for the move. There have been no reports of injuries linked to the incident.
A representative from Spears’ team has since released a statement addressing her arrest, describing it as “an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable”.
“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” the team member wrote, per Variety.
“Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time,” the statement continued.
“Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.”
The arrest comes shortly after Spears secured a permanent restraining order against a Louisiana man who allegedly showed up uninvited at her Los Angeles-area home after posting a series of disturbing messages on social media. She had claimed he had been troubling her online for years before the order was granted.
In 2007, Spears was charged with one count of hit and run causing property damage and one count of driving without a valid California driver’s licence, both misdemeanours, after a minor collision with a parked car; she later reached a settlement with the vehicle’s owner and the hit-and-run charge was dismissed.
The star went on to spend more than a decade under a court-ordered conservatorship largely controlled by her father and his lawyers, before a judge formally ended the arrangement in 2021. In 2023, she released a memoir, The Woman in Me, reflecting on her career, her personal life and her years under intense public scrutiny.
Authorities in Ventura County say the case will move forward at Spears’ May court date, where more details about the allegations are expected to emerge.
