Britney Spears has been arrested in California under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The singer was detained by California Highway Patrol (CHP) at around 21:30 local time (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday. A representative for her told the BBC: “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.”
Spears was reported to authorities for driving her BMW “erratically at a high rate of speed” on a motorway, CHP said. She “showed signs of impairment” and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests after she was pulled over.
She was released from jail in the early hours of Thursday morning and is due to appear at Ventura County Superior Court on 4 May.
Spears’ representative told the BBC: “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.
“Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.
“Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.”
The incident is still under investigation and chemical test results are pending, CHP said.
Spears was driving alone in her black BMW 430i southbound on US-101 when officers pulled her over.
Her car was impounded after the incident, according to jail records, which also list her occupation as “celebrity”.
The BBC has learned that Spears was not admitted to hospital after the arrest, but was briefly taken to a medical facility by law enforcement for the purpose of administering blood tests, in accordance with drink-driving protocol in the state.
The pop star appeared to have deleted her Instagram account on Thursday as news of her arrest broke.
Spears is one of the most successful pop stars ever, with hits such as Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger.
The singer said in January 2024 that she would “never return to the music industry”. Her last song was a duet with Elton John in 2022.
However, in a since-deleted social media post from earlier this year, Spears indicated that, although she would not perform in the US again, she was hoping to play live in the UK and Australia in the near future.
