Video of the incident shows the pop singer saying 'excuse me, sir' while tapping the NBA star, moments before bodyguard Damian Smith whips his arm back on her face.
- Jul 8, 2023
AceShowbiz - Britney Spears has been seen in video footage saying "excuse me, sir" before she was hit by NBA star Victor Wembanyama's security guard. The "Toxic" singer, 41, filed a battery report after the incident at Catch restaurant in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 5, but cops said on Friday, July 7, no criminal charges were being pressed against 19-year-old Victor's minder.
Shortly after the police statement, mobile phone footage of the clash was released by TMZ that showed Britney initially approaching San Antonio Spurs player Victor from behind. She is seen saying "Excuse me, sir" moments before bodyguard Damian Smith whips his arm back on her face, knocking off her sunglasses, causing Britney's entourage to gasp in shock.
The singer's husband Sam Asghari, 29, witnessed the incident and is seen in the video rushing towards Damian, while Britney bizarrely shouts in an English accent after composing herself, "That's America for you! F**k you all!"
Spears and her entourage then continue walking into Catch. Images also obtained by TMZ then showed her sitting calmly at her table and smiling.
But an eyewitness said she was "extremely agitated" over the altercation and appeared to be in disbelief. Britney, who regained control of her multimillion-dollar fortune and various aspects of her life when a conservatorship arrangement was terminated in 2021, was said to have "grabbed" the sports player from behind when she spotted him.
But she claimed afterwards she only "tapped on him on the shoulder" as it was such a "loud" environment. She wrote on Instagram, "Traumatic experiences are not new to me and I have had my fair share of them. I was not prepared for what happened to me last night. I recognized an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant at a different hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention."
Grammy winner Britney filed a police report for battery after she was allegedly smacked in the face for requesting to take a photo with Victor, who was signed to the San Antonio Spurs in June. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on Friday about finishing their investigation into the alleged battery incident, "No charges will be filed against the person involved."
