Spurs star Victor Wembanyama recently became embroiled in a scandal involving Britney Spears in Las Vegas. Here's everything you need to know.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and pop icon Britney Spears made headlines this week for an alleged altercation between Wembanyama's security detail and Spears in Las Vegas.
As reported by TMZ, Spears alleged she was struck by one of Wembanyama's security guards after she tried to get the Spurs player's attention. Spears filed a police report on the incident which took place on Wednesday night near a restaurant at the ARIA hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
The city's police department responded to a call at the address of the Las Vegas restaurant but didn't release any individual names or issue any arrests.
The details of the incident are slightly hazy, which is why we've provided the first-hand accounts of both Wembanyama and Spears below.
Victor Wembanyama-Britney Spears incident: Wemby's side
According to Victor Wembanyama, he was grabbed from behind on Wednesday night as he was walking into the Las Vegas restaurant. At the time, he did not know who grabbed him. He said that the person repeatedly called out, "Sir, sir" before grabbing him from behind and not on his shoulder, at which point his security guard pushed this person away.
He didn't stop to look at the person because he wanted to "walk in and enjoy a nice dinner."
Hours later, Wembanyama was notified that the person was Britney Spears. He claimed he never saw her face and continued walking straight, and he didn't believe it was a big deal.
Victor Wembanyama-Britney Spears incident: Spears' side
From Britney Spears' point of view, her incident with Wembanyama was a much more "traumatic experience."
Spears posted details about the incident to her Instagram story on Thursday contradicting Wembanyama's claim that someone had "grabbed" him.
According to Spears, she only tapped Wembanyama on the shoulder to try to get his attention. In response, his security detail "backhanded" her in the face, knocking her glasses off. Afterward, the guard reportedly told her, "You understand how it is when you're being swarmed by fans."
Spears' husband, Sam Asghari, posted on social media claiming Spears was physically assaulted that night, and he berated Wembanyama and his security team for reacting in a disproportionate manner.
All in all, this appears to be an accidental physical run-in between two celebrities without any malice on either side. In her post, Spears urged people in the public eye to "treat all people with respect," which could be viewed as a general takeaway from the dramatic encounter.
