Britney Spears arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence
By BBC, March 6, 2026Pop star Britney Spears has been arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The singer was detained by the California Highway Patrol at about 21:30 local time on Wednesday. Her representative later described the incident as unfortunate and said she would cooperate with authorities.
According to officials, Spears was reported to police after allegedly driving her BMW erratically at high speed along a motorway. Officers said she showed signs of impairment and agreed to take a series of field sobriety tests after being stopped.
She was later released from custody in the early hours of Thursday morning. Spears is expected to appear before Ventura County Superior Court on May 4.
Her representative said the singer intends to take the necessary steps to comply with the law and hopes the incident could mark a turning point in her life.
They added that Spears’ family and loved ones plan to support her and help put together a plan aimed at improving her wellbeing.
Authorities confirmed that the case remains under investigation and that chemical test results are still pending.
Spears was reportedly driving alone in her black BMW 430i southbound on US-101 when officers pulled her over. After the arrest, the vehicle was impounded, according to jail records, which also listed her occupation simply as “celebrity”.
The BBC has learned that Spears was not admitted to hospital following the incident. However, she was briefly taken to a medical facility where blood tests were conducted in line with standard drink driving procedures in California.
Shortly after news of the arrest broke, the pop star appeared to delete her Instagram account.
Spears remains one of the most successful pop artists of her generation, with hit songs including Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer and Stronger.
In January 2024, the singer announced that she did not plan to return to the music industry. Her most recent release was a duet with Elton John in 2022.
Despite that announcement, a social media post earlier this year suggested she might still consider performing live outside the United States, including possible shows in the United Kingdom and Australia.
For 13 years until 2021, Spears lived under a conservatorship that placed her finances and personal decisions under the control of her father.
In 2023, she published her memoir titled The Woman in Me, in which she reflected on her career and spoke about the challenges she faced while living under the conservatorship.
Her former husband Kevin Federline also released his own memoir, You Thought You Knew, toward the end of 2025.