Update, September 1: On Wednesday, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against Britney Spears for an alleged battery complaint made by an employee last month. Spears’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement to Vulture, “As I have previously-stated, this was nothing more than sensationalized-tabloid fodder — an overblown ‘he said, she said’ regarding a cell phone. If this involved Jane Doe rather than Britney Spears it would not have been pursued or covered at all.
Anyone can make an accusation but this should never have made it this far and we are glad the DA’s Office has done the right thing. Sadly, it is apparent that some have learned nothing from the past, and we sincerely hope the media and others will be more respectful of Ms. Spears in the future.â€
Original post:
Ventura County Sheriff Captain Eric Buschow tells Vulture that his department is currently investigating an alleged battery incident involving Britney Spears and one of her employees.
He said on Monday, August 16, his deputies responded to a call about a dispute in which a female employee told the deputies that Spears struck her. Sheriffs interviewed the staff member, but Buschow would not comment on whether they were able to speak to Spears about the incident.
According to TMZ, the incident involved one of Spears’s longtime housekeepers who was concerned about the well being of one of Spears’s dogs. The housekeeper reportedly was concerned about the health of the dog and took it to the vet. When she returned, TMZ reports that Spears confronted her and they argued about the dog’s health; Spears allegedly slapped the phone out of the housekeeper’s hands.
Buschow said that deputies are currently investigating and will forward their report to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, who will make the determination regarding whether the alleged incident constitutes a misdemeanor battery.
Spears’s attorney Mat Rosengart told Vulture in a statement, “This is overblown sensational tabloid fodder — nothing more than a manufactured ‘he said she said’ regarding a cell phone, with no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever. Anyone can make an accusation but this should have been closed immediately.â€
The Sheriff’s office has acknowledged that the incident was classified as a “very minor misdemeanor†and confirmed “there were no injuries.â€
Buschow also confirmed that on August 10, a week before the alleged battery incident, Britney herself called the sheriff’s to report a theft.
“When Deputies arrived, they were told that she changed her mind and didn’t want to file a police report,†said Buschow.
Other outlets reported that Britney placed the call because one of her dogs was missing from her house, but Buschow said that because Britney did not file a police report he would not speculate on the reason why she called.
This story is developing and will be updated accordingly.
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