A date night between Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari in Las Vegas on Wednesday night went awry when an alleged assault occurred and a police report followed. Spears reportedly spotted French NBA star Victor Wembanyama while out and about and hoped to say hello before the head of his security team struck her down. Following recent word of what went down, both Spears and Asghari have released public statements.
First, Asghari, whom the pop star married in what she called a “magical fairytale” wedding last summer, took to his Instagram Stories to share his thoughts on the situation. In his words:
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 the man in question learns a lesson and changes his disregard for women. Thank you for your support.
The model and fitness trainer is standing up and speaking out amidst the incident, and Britney Spears put out a statement of her own. Here’s what she wrote, in part, referring to her past allegations against her family by saying that “traumatic experiences are not new.” Take a look:
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. I am aware of the players 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. 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.
According to Spears, what sounds like an innocent attempt to link up with 19-year-old Victor Wembanyama became one of “violence.” The singer's complete statement was posted on Instagram below:
As Britney Spears shared, she finds the story “super embarrassing” to share with the public, but ultimately she decided that it’s “important” to speak out about the topic and “urge” celebrities like Victor Wembanyama to make it a priority to treat others with “respect.” What allegedly happened to Spears could have happened to a fan of Wembanyama, or could regularly occur. However, Spears has the platform and notoriety to advocate for the situation in ways others cannot.
In the statement, Spears also shared that she had yet to hear from Wembanyama, his security, or another organization. She also claimed that Wembanyama smiled and laughed as she nearly fell to the ground, which she called “demoralizing.” Spears took some time to thank the Las Vegas Police Department as the incident reportedly is leading to a criminal investigation that authorities are taking very seriously.
Victor Wembanyama is a newcomer to the NBA, recently being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick of the 2023 season. With the recruitment on the books, he has become the first French player to be drafted in that distinction.
