Britney Spears, Wembanyama Address Security Slap Allegations
Victor Wembanyama, the recent top pick in the NBA draft, has encountered his first controversy as a pro basketball player. Weirdly, it involves Britney Spears. According to the Associated Press, the San Antonio Spurs player confirmed his involvement in an incident on Wednesday at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. It was alleged that a member of his security team had slapped the pop icon. However, the Las Vegas Police Department did not file any charges after investigating the matter.
More reports.
At that time, TMZ reported that Spears filed a police report, identifying Damian Smith, the director of team security for the Spurs, as the person who had struck her. ESPN reported that no charges will be filed. Additionally, there are photos showing Spears approaching Wembanyama and Smith from behind.
Both sides.
As per reports, Spears had wanted to request a photo with Wembanyama as they were entering a restaurant. She tapped him on the shoulder, which allegedly led to the slap. Later, while seated at her table, Smith approached her to apologize, which she accepted.
During a conversation with reporters on Thursday, Wembanyama provided partial support for the narrative, although he stated that Spears had grabbed him instead of tapping his shoulder. He further mentioned that his security personnel “pushed her away” rather than slapping her. He additionally stated that he only realized the identity of the other individual as Britney Spears several hours after the incident occurred. Apparently, he didn’t know the issue made headlines until the next morning.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop,” Wembanyama said. “That person grabbed me from behind, not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind,” he continued. The NBA player did say he noticed security pushing a woman away. “I don’t know with how much force, but security pushed her away.” He said that he didn’t stop to look so he could walk in and enjoy “a nice dinner.”
Following the incident, Spears took to Twitter and shared a statement, pushing back against Wembanyama’s claim of her grabbing him. She made it clear that she felt the force of the hit and emphasized its impact.
Spears also pointed out that she was surrounded by a crowd of about 20 fans on the same night, but her security team did not resort to hitting any of them. She expressed her desire for a public apology from Wembanyama, the Spurs, and their security in light of the incident.
“This story is super embarrassing to share with the world but its out there already,” Spears shared. “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.”
As of now, the Spurs have refrained from making any public statements regarding the situation.
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