Slapped in Las Vegas: What exactly went on between Britney Spears and Victor Wembanyama?

Just when it seemed that everything was calm in the life of Britney Spears, with a few months of peace and a certain discretion on social media after a year and a half of freedom and disputes with half her family (father, mother, sister; no one is spared), chaos returns. And this time, it is not only her and her kin. As the week comes to an end, we have been hearing different versions of a clash that transpired Wednesday night at a Las Vegas restaurant between the singer, 41, and 19-year-old Victor Wembanyama, the brand new NBA and San Antonio Spurs player, a French athlete that is considered the new global basketball star. A somewhat messy affair of which everyone involved has provided their own versions – quite disparate, as one would imagine.

The last to speak was the Las Vegas police, who shared details of some of the events, confirmed by spokespersons from the Nevada City Police Department. As they told different media outlets, close to 11.00pm on Wednesday, “officers responded to a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard regarding a battery investigation.” That is, in the heart of the city. Apparently, as reported by US media, the incident occurred at the Catch restaurant, located in the luxurious Aria Resort & Casino, where the athlete dined and where the singer arrived with her husband, Sam Asghari, and two companions. When Spears spotted the rising star she went over to say hello and express her admiration; maybe even take a picture with him. Then, a security guard abruptly turned to the singer to prevent her from approaching the Frenchman, so emphatically that he even slapped her. A witness told the tabloid TMZ – the first outlet to pick it up – that Spears’ glasses flew off her face. After that, according to that outlet, the singer yelled, “This is fucking America!”

After the incident, Spears and her companions sat down at a table. That is where the versions differ. Initially, TMZ explained that Wembanyama’s security guard approached them and apologized, which the singer accepted. “You understand how it is when you’re being swarmed by fans,” he told her. Apparently, he did not recognize her at first. She, however, claims that she never received such apology and that, in fact, she is still waiting for it.

The first to speak was Sam Asghari, the singer’s husband, who stated in a message on his Instagram Stories: “I am opposed to violence in any form, especially without justification in the defense of yourself or someone else who is unable to defend themselves. Self-defense can be unavoidable, but the defense of any woman, especially my wife, is not debatable. I consider my reaction subdued considering what occurred, and I hope that the man in question learns a lesson and changes his disregard for women. Thank you for the support.”

In a second message, which he deleted a couple of hours later, he wrote: “The violent behavior of an out-of-control security guard should not cast a shadow on the accomplishment of a great young man on the rise,” tagging Wembanyama’s profile. “The blame should fall on the coward who did this, the people who hired him without proper vetting, and a systemic culture of disregard for women within sports and entertainment. I can’t imagine a scenario where an unarmed female fan showing any kind of excitement or appreciation for a celebrity would cause her to be physically attacked, much less being hit in the face for tapping someone on the shoulder. The changes needed will have to come from the top, and I look forward to those changes.”

Shortly after, it was Wemba himself (as he is popularly known) who explained the facts to a sports television channel. In his statements, the second tallest player in the NBA assured that he received the instruction to keep walking to avoid a chaotic scene, because several fans wanted to greet him and take pictures with him. “I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and we were told, ‘Don’t stop,’ But this person grabbed me from behind — not my shoulder, they grabbed me from behind — and so I just know security pushed them away,” he said. “I don’t know with how much violence, though. But security pushed them away.” He also stated that it wasn’t until a few hours later that he found out that it had been Britney Spears, because he never saw her face. “At first I was like, ‘No, you’re kidding.’ But yeah, it turned out to be Britney Spears.”

The last one to give her version of the facts was the singer, also through social media, where she posted a letter. “Traumatic experiences are not new to me,” she begins. Still, she “was not prepared for what happened to me last night.” She goes on to explain that she recognized “an athlete,” without mentioning his name, in the hotel lobby, as she was going to dinner; and that she later saw him again in the restaurant of a different hotel. “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. I am aware of the player’s statement where he mentions ‘I grabbed him from behind’ but I simply tapped him on the shoulder. His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.” After describing the events from her point of view, Spears continues: “I get swarmed by people all the time. In fact, that night, I was swarmed by a group of at least 20 fans. My security team didn’t hit any of them.”

Spears claims to be very embarrassed by the whole episode, but feels that it is important to share it and to urge all public figures to treat everybody with respect. Also, that she is still waiting for a public apology from the player, his security team or the organization. Nonetheless, she has received countless displays of love and support. As for Wembanyama, it is unknown if he will make any other statement or gesture towards the singer, but the player is still the center of attention due to his debut with the San Antonio Spurs (and in the NBA) this Friday, also in Las Vegas.

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