Singer Britney Spears arrested for DUI in California

American singer Britney Spears has been arrested in California for allegedly driving under the influence.

According to arrest records from the Ventura Sheriff’s Office, Spears, 44, was placed under arrest on the evening of Wednesday, March 4. She was released early in the morning on Thursday, March 5.

She was booked by the sheriff’s office around 3 a.m. Wednesday, and was released from custody hours later.

At the time of her arrest, Spears was handcuffed and taken into custody before being booked and released.

Spears is due in court on May 4.

Spears’ arrest comes after reports that the singer had just been granted a restraining order against a man from Louisiana who is alleged to have harassed her since 2013.

Wednesday’s arrest is not the singer’s first run-in with the law, having previously been arrested in 2007 for charges including an alleged hit-and-run with a parked car in Los Angeles. The charges were eventually dropped after Spears paid damages to the car’s owner.

In early 2024, the singer vowed to never return to the music industry after securing financial independence from a restrictive conservatorship controlled by her father.

Last month, it emerged Spears sold the rights to her entire music back catalogue to independent music publisher Primary Wave on 30 December for around $200m (£146m).