Britney Spears has more to say about the July 5 incident in Las Vegas, in which she alleged she was hit in the face by a member of San Antonio Spurs’ star Victor Wembanyama’s security team.
In a lengthy message posted on Instagram July 7, the “Toxic” singer explained her "bad" reaction to the incident and why she felt "helpless."
Beginning her caption by reflecting on her decades of work in Hollywood, Spears wrote in part that she's been “in the industry for years" and has been around "some of the most famous people in the world." She names the '90s boy band ‘N Sync as an example, adding that "at one point they were like The Beatles."
"Girls would throw themselves at them everywhere we went … not one time in my life has a security guard ever hit another person !!!,” she said.
“I’m not sharing this to be a victim," she continued. "I SIMPLY GET IT HONESTLY … my reaction was priceless … BAD ??? YES.”
The pop star then recalled some of her past experiences in the industry which made her feel "helpless."
“I’ve had documentaries done about me and none of which I approved … I have felt helpless in most situations and my experience in Vegas and my reaction was a cry out on all levels … I will say it !!!,” she said.
Spears said she has not always felt that she's “been treated as an equal person in this country,” adding, “of course when I watched the video myself … the people who actually swarmed around me when they heard me get hit made me feel like I mattered !!!”
“I wasn’t aware of that at the time," she explained. "All people could hear was me saying f--- you all … which was WAY BETTER THAN HITTING HIM BACK!!!” she wrote.
Spears said that regardless of how the incident played out, she’s still a fan of the NBA rookie, adding, “it’s not his fault his security hit me … s--- happens !!!”
On July 7, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shared an update obtained by NBC News. In the update, the LVMPD said the investigation had concluded and no charges would be filed against the member of the security team involved in the incident.
A police report written July 5 stated that detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the incident that captured Spears approaching Wembanyama, including the moment she went to tap him on the shoulder.
The report stated that when Spears touched the NBA player, the security team member — whose name was withheld from the report — “pushes her hand off of the player without looking which causes Britney’s hadn’t to hit herself in the face.”
“Due to the fact that (the security member) DID NOT willfully or unlawfully use any force or violence upon Britney and probable cause did not exist an Arrest was not made and a Citation was not given,” the report concluded.
Spears opened up on Twitter after the incident, referring to the moment as one of the many "traumatic experiences" she's encountered in her life.
“I get swarmed by people all the time,” she wrote. “In fact, that night. I was swarmed by a group of at least 20 fans. My security tram didn’t hit any of them.”
The singer described the situation as “super embarrassing to share,” adding, “However, I think it’s important to share this story and to urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect.”