Britney Spears got more than she expected and a slap to the face, as she claimed, when she tried to get the attention of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
The incident happened when Wembanyama was walking into a restaurant at a Las Vegas casino.
Britney Spears had recognized him earlier in the evening and when seeing the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft — a 7-foot-3 French standout who is entering the NBA with as much acclaim as anyone since LeBron James 20 years ago — and she “decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success.”
Instead of a celebrity met-up, Britney Spears said she got some bitter-fan-experience when “his security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.”
She filed a report with Las Vegas police and lamented on social media how “super embarrassing” she felt. She also denied grabbing Wembanyama, saying she only “tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.”
“I have yet to get a public apology from the player, his security or their organization,” Spears wrote. “I hope they will …”, Spears said.
Wembanyama said he had been earlier advised by his security detail not to stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant, mindful that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to build.
“Something did happen, a little bit, when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant,” he said.
“I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘Sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind. 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.”
Wembanyama said he wasn’t told that Spears was the person who grabbed him until hours later.
“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.”
Police confirmed that a report was filed on an incident at the Aria Resort & Casino, but gave no further details.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times saying officers responded to a “battery investigation” at that address without specifying any individual names. The statement said “no arrest or citations have been issued” and that “no further details will be provided at this time.”
Spears’ attorney Mathew Rosengart also gave no update and cited the ongoing police investigation.
Wembanyama will make his NBA summer league debut with the Spurs on Friday night in Las Vegas against the Charlotte Hornets.
He signed some autographs for fans at ARIA on Wednesday night and did the same for some onlookers as he entered a local high school for practice with the Spurs on Thursday morning.
