American pop star Britney Spears has been arrested in Ventura County, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to reports, the singer was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers on Wednesday evening and taken into custody.
Spears was booked in the early hours of Thursday but was later released. Arrest records indicate that she is expected to appear before the Ventura County Superior Court on May 4, 2026.
n a statement following the incident, a representative for the singer described the arrest as unfortunate and said Spears intends to comply with the legal process.
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in a long-overdue change that needs to occur in her life,” the representative said.
The statement added that Spears would be spending time with her children while her family and close associates work on plans to support her well-being.
Spears has previously had encounters with law enforcement. In 2007, she faced misdemeanour charges linked to a hit-and-run incident involving a parked car in Los Angeles. The charges were later dropped after she compensated the vehicle owner.
The pop star also appeared to have deleted her Instagram account on Thursday as news of her arrest circulated online.
Spears is regarded as one of the most successful pop stars in modern music history, with hit songs including “Toxic,” “Everytime,” “Gimme More,” “Womaniser,” “Stronger,” and “Baby One More Time.”
In January 2024, the singer said she would “never return to the music industry,” although her most recent release was a duet with Elton John in 2022.
However, in a now-deleted social media post earlier this year, Spears suggested that while she may not perform in the United States again, she hoped to stage live shows in the United Kingdom and Australia.
For 13 years, until 2021, Spears was under a conservatorship that placed control of her finances and many personal decisions under her father’s authority, a legal arrangement that a court terminated.
