Incident involving Britney Spears, NBA's Victor Wembanyama prompts battery probe

NBA star Victor Wembanyama and singer Britney Spears allegedly were involved in a battery incident in Las Vegas on Wednesday. (Michel Euler; Jordan Strauss / Associated Press)

Britney Spears allegedly was slapped by a member of a security detail accompanying NBA wunderkind Victor Wembanyama while reportedly asking the San Antonio Spurs' No. 1 overall draft pick for a photo in Las Vegas.

The "Hold Me Closer" singer filed a police report with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police on Wednesday over the alleged incident, which took place Wednesday at the Catch restaurant in the Aria Resort & Casino, according to TMZ.

"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," police said in a Thursday statement to The Times.

"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," police said.

Read more:NBA 2023 draft: 7-4 Victor Wembanyama spurs visions of superstardom

The Times also submitted a public records request to obtain a copy of the police report.

Representatives for the Spurs did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times' requests for comment.

Spears was said to be accompanied by her husband, Sam Asghari, and two others and was swarmed by fans as she entered the casino. The 41-year-old pop star spotted Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French basketball star, as she entered the eatery inside and tapped him on his back to ask for a photo, TMZ said. That's reportedly when Damian Smith, the Spurs' director of team security, "instantly backhanded her, causing her to fall to the ground ... knocking her glasses off." Smith did not know who she was, the site said.

Smith later apologized to Spears and she accepted, TMZ said, but police were called and the police report was filed. Officers who responded to the incident reportedly reviewed security camera footage that showed Smith pushing away Spears' hand and that it was her own hand that struck her face, not Smith's.

Police are treating the incident as a criminal investigation and reportedly will meet with Spears on Thursday to discuss it, the site said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.