Britney Spears ‘PASSED in the face’ by a security guard after she ‘tried to take a picture with San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama’
- Spears was vacationing in Las Vegas with husband Sam Asghari
- After seeing Wembanyama, of whom she is a fan, she tried to take a picture
- When she tapped him on the shoulder, his security guard allegedly hit her
Britney Spears reportedly received a slap in the face after a celebrity meeting went wrong with San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama.
The alleged attack on the 41-year-old pop superstar took place in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, where Britney was enjoying some time with husband Sam Asghari.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Spears and Wembanyama representatives.
The singer was at the Catch restaurant at the ARIA Hotel with Sam and two other people for dinner around 8:30pm, where she had to face a crowd of adoring fans.
But when she arrived, she saw Wembanyama, who she is a fan of, so she tried to take a picture with the NBA star.
Slap shocker: Britney Spears reportedly received a slap in the face after a celebrity meeting went wrong with San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama, TMZ reported Thursday
Violent outburst: The 41-year-old pop superstar reportedly approached the 19-year-old NBA phenom when a member of his security allegedly punched her in the face; Wembanyama can be seen in Las Vegas on Wednesday signing autographs for more lucky fans
That’s when a member of his security team allegedly had physical contact with her, TMZ reports.
Spears reportedly got close enough to Wembanyama to tap him on the back of his right shoulder to get his attention.
Sources say the director of Team Security for the San Antonio Spurs — later dubbed Damian Smith by law enforcement sources — saw the attempted interaction and quickly slapped Spears in the face.
The blow was reportedly strong enough to knock the singer to the ground, and even knocked her glasses off her head.
Despite the shocking exchange, Spears got up and went back to her table, remaining calm.
The same man who punched her in the face then went by her table to apologize.
“You understand what it’s like when you’re inundated with fans,” he reportedly told her before saying he was sorry.
Bron also said he claimed not to have realized it was the internationally renowned pop star trying to get Wembanyama’s attention, not just a random fan.
At the time, Spears apparently accepted his apology, but things seem to have changed when her own security team got involved.
Linked: Spears had been enjoying some leisure time in Las Vegas around 8:30pm at the Catch restaurant in the ARIA Hotel with husband Sam Asghari and two other people
Unexpected result: Spears, who is a fan of Wembanyama (seen in Vegas on Wednesday), saw him and went over to tap him on the shoulder to ask for a photo. That’s when the Spurs’ Director of Team Security Damian Smith allegedly backhanded her to the face
Shocking force: Smith reportedly punched the pop star so hard that she fell to the floor and her glasses flew off her face. He later came to her table to apologize, which she reportedly accepted; Wembanyama seen in Las Vegas on Wednesday
Getting the police involved: Despite Spears reportedly accepting Smith’s apology, her security team subsequently met with him and then filed a police report about an alleged battery, although police reportedly believed he was only trying to protect the Spurs star
They reportedly consulted with the Spurs’ director of Team Security, and after talking to him, filed a police report with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department charging him with battery.
It’s unclear if Spears’s security submitted the police report to her consultation, or if she merely “accepted” the Spurs security guard’s apology to help defuse a tense situation.
Law enforcement sources later told the publication that the case was not being investigated as a criminal case.
They said officers determined that Smith was only trying to defend Wembanyama, rather than trying to hurt Spears.
Wembanyama, a French basketball player, is considered one of the most promising new stars in the sport and he was selected by the Spurs in the 2023 draft.