Pop superstar Britney Spears has been formally charged following her arrest for driving under the influence in March. The 44-year-old singer was taken into custody on March 4 in Ventura, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Following the arrest, Spears voluntarily checked herself into a rehabilitation facility.
A spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol told USA Today that Spears was suspected of being under the influence after allegedly showing signs of impairment and submitting to a series of field sobriety tests. Police alleged that Spears was driving a black BMW 430i erratically at high speeds along a highway in Ventura County.
She was released the following day, with her representative describing the unfortunate incident as completely inexcusable. A representative for Spears said at the time: 'Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney's life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for wellbeing.'
Spears has two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Following the arrest, the singer's representative confirmed Spears had voluntarily checked herself into a rehabilitation facility.
According to a statement from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Spears will be offered the opportunity to plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs at a court hearing on Monday. This is a common resolution for someone who has shown a willingness to undergo treatment and typically carries a sentence of 12 months on probation.
Spears recently made headlines after selling her song catalogue and an unknown number of other rights to Primary Wave. In January, she claimed in a since-deleted Instagram post that she will never perform in the US again because of extremely sensitive reasons. The arrest and subsequent charges mark another setback for the singer, whose erratic social media activity has sparked concern since her conservatorship ended in 2021.
