Britney Spears has demanded a "public apology" from NBA star Victor Wembanyama after his security guard allegedly slapped the pop star in the face at a Las Vegas restaurant on Wednesday. This came as both Speaks and Wembanyama came up with their own version of the incident, with each blaming the other for the chaotic episode.
Spears, 41, was allegedly slapped by a security guard while she was attempting to take a photo with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at Catch restaurant located in the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas. Las Vegas police confirmed that they were called to the Aria hotel in response to a battery investigation but no arrests were made.
Stunned and Shocked
Spears was allegedly slapped by a member of Wembanyama's security detail after the pop star asked the NBA rookie for a picture in Las Vegas, according to TMZ.
Spears reportedly approached the European basketball star and tapped him on the shoulder in an attempt to draw his attention.
As per TMZ, the incident escalated immediately after Spears tapped the 7-foot-4 rookie, Wembanyama.
Damian Smith, who is the Director of Team Security for the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama's team, reportedly intervened. During the interaction, Spears fell to the ground, and her glasses were knocked off her face.
Authorities have reportedly reviewed footage of the incident, which allegedly shows Smith pushing Spears' hand away, resulting in her hand hitting her own face. The Metro PD is said to have interviewed the singer on Thursday morning with the case 'likely' to be sent to the District Attorney for review.
Following the incident, Spears reportedly managed to compose herself. She allegedly accepted an apology from Smith, according to TMZ.
"You understand how it is when you're being swarmed by fans," Smith reportedly told the singer after the fracas.
However, Spears is now providing a different version of what happened on her Instagram story, claiming that she saw Wembanyama, 19, twice during the course of the evening and wanted to congratulate him.
Wembanyama on the other hand is claiming that he didn't realize that it was Spears and is trying to shield his security team.
Blame Game Begins
Spears took to Instagram on Wednesday evening and wrote: "Traumatic experiences are not new to me and I have had my fair share of them.
"I was not prepared for what happened to me last night. I recognized an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant at a different hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"I am away of the players [sic] statement where her mentions 'I grabbed him from behind' but I simply tapped him on the shoulder. His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.
"I get swarmed by people all the time. In fact, that night. I was swarmed by a group of at least 20 fans. My security team didn't hit any of them."
Spears went on to say that despite expecting one, she has not yet received a "public apology" from Wembanyama for the alleged incident, the security personnel, or the Spurs organization.
It was "embarrassing," she said, but she added that she wanted to tell the tale to "urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect."
According to Page Six, Spears filed a police report for battery following the alleged slap, and TMZ claimed that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
However, Wembanyama, 19, said in a news conference on Thursday that he learned of Spears' involvement in the incident hours after it occurred and that he was unaware of it at the time.
Moreover, he claimed that Spears grabbed her from behind and not "tap" him on his shoulders as claimed by the singer.
"What happened last night, is, I saw the news obviously, I woke up to a couple phone calls — something did happen when I was walking with some security from the team to the restaurant. We were in the hall. There was a lot of people," Wembanyama told reporters on Thursday at NBA Summer League in Vegas.
"There was one person who was calling me, but security told me I couldn't stop because it would have made a crowd. That person grabbed me from behind. I didn't see what happened because I was walking straight and didn't stop, and that person grabbed me from behind, so I just let security push her away. I don't know with how much force, though.
"Security pushed her away, and I didn't stop to look. I kept walking and enjoyed a nice dinner."
When asked if he realized it was Spears, Wembanyama said, "Actually, I didn't know for a couple hours."
"When I got back to the hotel, I didn't forget about this, but I thought it was no big deal. And then [I was told] this was Britney Spears. At first, I was like, 'No, you're joking!' But yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears.
"I never saw her face."
Spears initially appeared to accept Damian Smith's apology. However, the situation took a more serious turn when Spears' own security team got involved. Reportedly, they discussed the incident with Smith and subsequently decided to file a police report with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, accusing him of battery.
It remains unclear whether Spears was directly involved in her security team's decision to file the police report.
