Britney Spears, aged 44, faced charges in California for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to authorities. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that the pop star was charged with a single misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug. The specific substances and quantities involved were not disclosed in the criminal complaint.
Spears, who has since sought substance abuse treatment, was arrested on March 4 after being pulled over for driving recklessly in her black BMW on U.S. 101 near her residence, as reported by the California Highway Patrol. After displaying signs of impairment and failing field sobriety tests, she was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of a mix of drugs and alcohol. She was later released on bail.
Following the investigation, prosecutors received the case on March 23. A representative at the time condemned Spears’ actions as “completely inexcusable” and expressed hope for necessary changes in her life. Subsequently, Spears voluntarily checked into a substance abuse treatment facility a month after the incident.
An arraignment for Spears is scheduled for Monday, but her presence in court is not mandated due to the misdemeanor nature of the charge, as per prosecutors. Known for hits like “Toxic” and “I’m a Slave 4 U,” Spears rose to fame in the 1990s and 2000s. She has faced public scrutiny amid battles with mental illness and intense media attention on her personal affairs.
In 2008, Spears was placed under a conservatorship overseen mainly by her father and legal team, which managed her personal and financial matters for over a decade until its dissolution in 2021. Despite releasing a bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me,” Spears has been relatively inactive in the music industry, with minimal releases since her last full album in 2016.