Pop star Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night and charged with driving under the influence, California law enforcement confirmed Thursday.
California Highway Patrol officers pulled Spears over around 9:30 p.m. after another driver called 911 to report her car being driven erratically, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Spears, 44, was transported to a hospital after the stop so that police could draw her blood to determine her intoxication level. Law enforcement told NBC4 Investigates that the arrest was both alcohol- and drug-related. She was booked into the Ventura County jail around 3:00 a.m. Thursday and released shortly after 6:00 a.m., according to inmate records. Her first court appearance is on May 4.
A representative for Spears issued a statement after the arrest.
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” the representative said. “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. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. 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.”
Spears deactivated her Instagram account early Thursday morning, shortly after the arrest became public.
It’s a significant new chapter in a troubled personal history for the pop superstar. Spears was freed from a court-ordered conservatorship in November 2021 after 13 years under the legal control of her father, Jamie Spears. She detailed her experience under that arrangement in her 2023 best-selling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
Spears has not released an album since 2016 and has not performed publicly since 2018. Just last month, Spears sold her entire music catalog to publisher Primary Wave in a deal worth approximately $200 million.