Singer Britney Spears demanded an apology on Thursday after accusing a member of an NBA star’s security team of hitting her in the face outside a Las Vegas restaurant when she tried to welcomes San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama.
in a tweet Regarding the encounter, Spears did not name Wembanyama, but when discussing the unnamed player, she referred to public comments he had made to reporters hours earlier. Spears, 41, said she saw “an athlete” at two different hotels on Wednesday night and “decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success” at the second hotel, outside a restaurant. Spears said that after she tapped him on the shoulder, a member of his security team “smashed me right in the face,” knocking her glasses off and causing her to nearly fall.
Spears says she’s still waiting for an apology from the player, his security, and his team. Wembanyama, 19, was the #1 pick in last month’s NBA Draw. He is expected to play in the NBA’s summer tournament starting Friday in Las Vegas.
Spurs did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Thursday. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to an email request for comment. A person who answered the phone at the department’s public records office said they could not comment on a specific case and it could take three to five days to respond to requests for records.
In statements to various news outlets, including Diversity And Everybody, Las Vegas police said around 11 p.m. Wednesday, “deputies visited a property on the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard in connection with a battery investigation,” but no arrests were made. hold or citation is made. The thing is first reported by TMZ on Thursday morning. Spears’ attorney, Mathew S. Rosengart, said Las Vegas police were investigating and declined to comment further beyond Spears’ statement.
Earlier on Thursday, before Spears’ tweet, Wembanyama provide another version of the event when meeting reporters in Las Vegas. He said “someone is calling me,” but Spurs security asked him not to stop for anyone, as doing so could invite a crowd. He later said that one person “grabbed me from behind, not on my shoulder.”
“I don’t know how much force was used but security forces pushed her away,” Wembanyama said, adding that he didn’t know the woman was Spears until a few hours later. “I didn’t stop to look, so I kept walking and enjoying a nice dinner.”
Spears said she was “unprepared for what happened” and that discussing it publicly was “very embarrassing”.
“However, I think it is important to share this story and call on everyone in the public eye to set an example and treat everyone with respect,” she said.
Wembanyama, over 7 feet tall, is one of the NBA’s most promising players in recent decades. He averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last season with the Metropolitans 92, a French professional team.
Claire Fahy contribution report.
