American singer, Britney Spears, has been arrested in California, the United States on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to reports from CBS News.
The pop star was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol at about 21:30 PT (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday. She was later released in the early hours of Thursday and is expected to appear before the Ventura County Superior Court on May 4.
Authorities from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in Southern California confirmed the reason for her arrest to CBS, which is the US media partner of BBC News.
A representative for Spears told BBC News, “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.
“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.”
Shortly after news of the arrest broke on Thursday, Spears appeared to have deleted her Instagram account.
Spears remains one of the most successful pop artists in history, known for hit songs such as Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, Stronger, and Baby One More Time.
In January 2024, the singer said she would “never return to the music industry.” Her most recent release was a 2022 duet with Elton John.
However, in a social media post earlier this year that was later deleted, Spears hinted that although she would not perform in the United States again, she hoped to stage live shows in the UK and Australia soon.
For 13 years, until 2021, Spears was under a conservatorship that placed control of her finances and aspects of her personal life in the hands of her father.
The singer later reflected on her life and career in her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, where she detailed her experiences and struggles during the conservatorship.
Meanwhile, her former husband Kevin Federline released his own memoir, You Thought You Knew, toward the end of 2025.
