Britney Spears broke her silence on what she described as a “traumatic experience” with NBA star Victor Wembanyama’s security team in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
The pop singer addressed the incident in a lengthy social media post Thursday afternoon, in which he described the altercation as both scary and embarrassing.
“Traumatic experiences are not new to me and I’ve been through quite a bit,” she wrote. “I wasn’t prepared for what happened to me last night.”
Spears said she reached out to San Antonio Spurs first-round draft pick Wembanyama to “congratulate him on his success” after seeing him at two different Las Vegas hotels. She wrote that she “patted him on the shoulder” to get his attention amid the noise.
“Then his security guard slapped me in the face in front of a crowd without looking back. It almost knocked me out and ripped my glasses off my face,” Spears wrote.
AP photos of Chris Pizzello (left) and Eric Gay
Hours before Spears released her statement, Wembanyama said accepted During a news conference on Thursday, he said his security responded to a person who “grabbed him from behind.” He said he only found out Spears was involved later that evening.
In her own report, Spears said there was no seizure. The “Baby One More Time” singer added that she was also “surrounded by a group of at least 20 fans” that night, but said that “my security team didn’t attack any of them.”
Although Spears called the incident “extremely embarrassing,” she said it was important “to share this story and to urge people in the public eye to lead by example and to treat all people with respect.”
“Physical violence happens too often in this world,” the star continued. “Often behind closed doors. I stand by all victims and my condolences go out to you all!!! I have not yet received any public apology from the player, his security service or his organization. I hope they will.”
Spears then thanked fans for “the tremendous love and support” and acknowledged the Las Vegas Police Department for their support.
Earlier Thursday, Las Vegas authorities confirmed an incident had happened on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. in front of the Catch restaurant in the Aria Hotel. The city’s Department of Public Information told Rolling Stone that the dispute “was documented in a police report and there were no arrests or subpoenas.”
