Britney Spears Arrested for DUI in California – Instagram Deleted
Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Ventura County, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence. The arrest, which occurred around 9:28 p.m. Local time, comes just days after the singer secured a restraining order against a man who had been harassing her for years.
According to Ventura County inmate records, Spears, 44, was booked into the Ventura County Jail at approximately 3:02 a.m. Thursday and released shortly after 6:00 a.m. The California Highway Patrol initiated the arrest after receiving reports of a driver behaving erratically. Following the traffic stop in Westlake Village, Spears was briefly taken to a hospital for a blood sample to determine her blood-alcohol content, though the results have not yet been released.
A representative for Spears released a statement calling the incident “unfortunate” and “completely inexcusable.” The statement continued, “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 secure the support and support she needs during this difficult time.” The representative similarly noted that Spears’ sons would be spending time with her and that loved ones are working on a plan to support her well-being.
This is not Spears’ first encounter with law enforcement. In 2007, she faced misdemeanor charges related to a hit-and-run incident in Los Angeles, though those charges were ultimately dropped after she paid for the damages to the vehicle involved.
The arrest follows a recent legal victory for Spears, who was granted a permanent restraining order against a 51-year-old man from Louisiana on Monday. Court filings revealed the man had been harassing Spears since 2013 and had recently appeared at her Los Angeles home after posting “disturbing social media posts.”
The news arrives amidst a period of significant change for the pop star. In late 2025, Spears sold her music catalog to Primary Wave in a reported $200 million deal. The sale encompassed ownership of her iconic hits, including “…Baby One More Time,” “Lucky,” and “Everytime.” This move followed the conclude of her 13-year conservatorship, a period Spears herself described as “abusive” in her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me.
During the conservatorship, Spears had no control over her finances or personal decisions. As she wrote in her memoir, “Thirteen years went by with me feeling like a shadow of myself … My father and his associates having control over my body and my money … makes me feel sick.” The sale of her catalog represents a significant step towards reclaiming agency over her life, and work.
Primary Wave’s catalog also includes the works of other music legends such as Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, and Prince, positioning Spears’ music alongside a prestigious roster of artists.
In January, Spears announced on Instagram that she would “never perform in the US again,” citing “extremely sensitive reasons.” She did, however, express hope for future performances in the UK and Australia, potentially envisioning a more intimate stage presence.
Spears’ last studio album, 2016’s Glory, was praised as a creative resurgence. Alex Macpherson of The Guardian described the album as “a smooth, shapeshifting record – with the singer sounding like she’s having the time of her life.”
Since the termination of her conservatorship in 2021, Spears has maintained a relatively low public profile, primarily engaging with fans through social media, often sharing videos of herself dancing. She has released a few collaborative singles in recent years, including “Hold Me Closer” with Elton John in 2022 and “Mind Your Business” with will.i.am in 2023, but has not yet released a full-length follow-up to Glory.
Following her release from jail, Spears deleted her Instagram profile. Her final post alluded to vulnerability, stating, “Song representing fragility be careful my friends when dealing with the queen of hearts.”
Spears is scheduled to appear in court on .