Pop star Britney Spears has accused a security guard for NBA draftee Victor Wembanyama of assaulting her in Las Vegas.
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) July 6, 2023
In a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday, Spears said she was walking through a hotel lobby when she saw Wembanyama and tapped him on the shoulder to congratulate him on his accomplishments. She alleged that the security guard then “backhanded me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd.”
Spears said the blow almost knocked her over and knocked her glasses off. She said she was “swarmed by a group of at least 20 fans” earlier that night, but her security team did not hit any of them.
.@vicw_32 on the situation last night involving Britney Spears pic.twitter.com/I0mHJvJzs4
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) July 6, 2023
Wembanyama, who was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs last month, told reporters Thursday that as he was walking down a hallway, someone who had been trying to get his attention “grabbed me from behind.” He said security then “pushed her away,” though he noted he didn’t see what happened because he had been told not to stop so that a crowd couldn’t form around him.
The 19-year-old said he didn’t know “how much force” was used and that he only found out the person was Spears hours later.
Spears denied that she “grabbed him from behind” in her response, saying she “simply tapped him on the shoulder.” She criticized the security guards’ behavior, saying she is often swarmed by fans and that her security team does not resort to violence.
The Las Vegas Police Department said it responded to a battery incident in the area around 11 p.m. Wednesday night, but could not provide more information. The department said no arrests were made and no citations were issued.
Spears said she has not received a public apology from Wembanyama, the security guard, or the Spurs. She said she shared her story to “urge people in the public eye to set and example and treat all people with respect.”
“Physical violence is happening too much in this world,” she wrote. “Often behind closed doors.”
Spears concluded her statement by saying she stands with “all the victims” of physical violence and that her heart goes out to them.
