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- Las Vegas police said Thursday they had investigated an incident between French NBA top draft pick Victor Wembanyama's security and pop star Britney Spears.
- Sharing her side of the story on Instagram Stories, Spears said she had simply wanted to greet the player when his security team "back handed me in the face".
- The LVMPD investigated the incident and said "no arrest or citations have been issued".
Las Vegas police said Thursday they had investigated an incident between French NBA top draft pick Victor Wembanyama's security and pop star Britney Spears.
Wembanyama is in Las Vegas ahead of his first game in the NBA Summer League against Charlotte on Friday and was heading to a restaurant when he was spotted by fans - and Spears.
Media reports said that Spears was pushed away by Wembanyama's security, which the singer's husband Sam Asghari said was "violent" and "out of control".
Wembanyama told reporters after practice that he only heard of Spears' involvement some hours after his dinner.
"There was one person who was calling me but we talked before with the security (to not) stop because it's gonna make a crowd," said the Frenchman.
"That person was calling me 'sir sir' and that person grabbed me from behind, so I didn't see what happened because I was walking straight," he added. "I don't know with how much force but security pushed her away and I didn't stop to look so I kept walking and enjoyed a nice dinner."
Sharing her side of the story on her Instagram Stories, Spears said she had simply wanted to greet the player and questioned Wembanyama's account.
"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," she wrote.
"I recognised 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 aware of the players statement where he mentions 'I grabbed him from behind' but I simply tapped him on the shoulder," she said.
"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 [to fall] off my face."
Read Britney's full statement HERE.
The Las Vegas Police Department investigated the incident but did not take any action.
"On July 5, 2023, at approximately 11 p.m., LVMPD officers responded to a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard regarding a battery investigation," the police said in a statement.
"The incident has been documented on a police report and no arrest or citations have been issued. No further details will be provided at this time."
Asghari posted on social media saying that Spears had been "assaulted".
"The violent behaviour of an out-of-control security guard should not cast a shadow on the accomplishment of a great young man on the rise @wemby," he wrote.
"I can't imagine a scenario where an unarmed female fan, showing any kind of excitement or appreciation for a celebrity would cause her to be physically assaulted, much less being hit in the face for tapping someone on the shoulder."
Asghari later shared a second statement on Instagram Stories.
"I am opposed to violence in any form, especially without justification in the defense of yourself or someone else who is unable to defend themselves...I consider my reaction subdued considering what occured, and I hope the man in question learns a lesson and changes his disregard for women."
