Video footage of the moment Britney Spears was struck in the face while approaching basketball player Victor Wembanyama has been shared online.
The clip comes after Las Vegas police confirmed Friday (7 July) that no charges would be filed against a member of the NBA prospect’s security after the pop star filed a report alleging battery.
The video, obtained by TMZ, shows Spears, 41, approaching 19-year-old Wembanyama from behind outside the ARIA Resort & Casino’s Catch restaurant. As she reaches out to touch the San Antonio Spurs player, a man in a white shirt reaches behind him and strikes her in the face.
A man is then heard yelling: “Bro, that’s Britney Spears!”
A woman’s voice, which TMZ reports is Spears’s, can then be heard screaming: “That’s America for you!”
The Independent has contacted the Spurs and Spears’s representatives for comment.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department told The Independent on Friday that its investigation is over and “no charges will be filed against the person involved”.
In a statement shared to her social media accounts on Thursday, Spears said she “decided to approach [Wembanyama] and congratulate him on his success” and so she “tapped him on the shoulder”.
The teenage French phenom was signed as the Spurs’ first-round draft pick last month and is due to make his debut for the side on Friday.
Spears alleges that the basketballer’s security then “backhanded me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face”.
She added: “This story is super embarrassing to share with the world but it’s out there already. 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.”
Britney Spears and Victor Wembanyama— (Getty Images)
Wembanyama also addressed the incident, telling reporters: “Something did happen, a little bit, when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant.
“We were in the hall. There was a lot of people, so people were calling (at) me, obviously. There was one person who was calling me but we talked before with security.
“I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘Sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind,” he said. “I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop. That person grabbed me from behind – not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind. I just know the security pushed her away. I don’t know with how much force but security pushed her away. I didn’t stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy a nice dinner.”
Spears denied “grabbing” the athlete in her statement, which the new footage appears to support.
“I didn’t know for a couple hours, but when I came back to the hotel... I thought it was no big deal, and then security of the Spurs told me it was Britney Spears,” Wembanyama said. “At first, I was like, ‘You’re joking,’ but yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears. I never saw her face. I just kept walking straight.”
He was unaware that the situation had made headlines until Thursday.
“I saw the news obviously this morning. I woke up to a couple of phone calls,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama is among the most exciting prospects in the NBA due to his towering 7ft 5in frame, his youth, his technical skill and his long-range shooting ability.
