WASHINGTON, July 6, 2023 (AFP) – 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, who said she had been hit in the face.
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.
“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.”
Spears said she had simply wanted to greet the player and questioned Wembanyama’s account.
“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,” she said on Instagram.
“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 backhanded 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.”
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 that Spears had been “assaulted.”
“The violent behavior 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.”