Pop singer Britney Spears has filed a police report alleging she was struck in the face by a security guard for basketball player Victor Wembanyama on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
According to TMZ, which first reported the story, Spears, 41, spotted Wembanyama, a 19-year-old French basketball player and one of the most anticipated rookies of the upcoming NBA season, at Catch restaurant in the Aria hotel around 8:30 p.m. local time. (Rolling Stone and US Weekly each independently verified the incident occurred.)
Spears, who was having dinner with her husband Sam Asghari and two others, allegedly approached Wembanyama in the restaurant and tapped him on the shoulder to ask for a photo together.
FILE – Victor Wembanyama was drafted as a first pick to the San Antonio Spurs in June 2023.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Spears told police that the director of team security for the San Antonio Spurs, Damian Smith, backhanded the Toxic singer, knocking off her glasses and causing her to fall to the floor.
Wembanyama was drafted by the Spurs last month as the team’s first overall pick.
Smith allegedly apologized to Spears at her table afterward. Spears accepted the apology, but later filed a police report with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) alleging battery.
“On July 5, 2023, at approximately 11 pm, LVMPD officers responded to a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard regarding a battery investigation,” police said in a statement on Thursday. “The incident has been documented on a police report and no arrest or citations have been issued. No further details will be provided at this time.”
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None of the parties involved in the incident, including Spears and Wembanyama, have commented publicly on the alleged altercation.
It is unclear whether Spears is seeking criminal charges against Smith.
Wembanyama, currently the NBA’s tallest active player at an impressive seven feet four inches, is set to make his professional debut as part of the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas this Friday.
Spears, whose 13-year-conservatorship ended in November 2021, recently reconnected with her mother after years-long drama surrounding Spears’ allegations of mistreatment at the hands of her family. She married Asghari, a 29-year-old model and fitness trainer, in June 2022.
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