Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after the California Highway Patrol pulled her over on a Southern California freeway, authorities confirmed. The 44-year-old pop star was taken into custody near Westlake Village in the Ventura County area and later released early Thursday morning, marking a dramatic new chapter in a life that has long played out under intense public scrutiny.
The incident began at approximately 8:48 p.m. local time when someone reported a black BMW driving erratically at high speed on southbound US-101, according to a CHP press release. Officers located the vehicle and pulled it over near the Westlake Boulevard exit. CHP public information officer Ryan Ayers confirmed to CNN that Spears was the sole occupant of the car and showed signs of impairment during the traffic stop.
NBC News identified the vehicle as a BMW 430i. The Westlake Village area where Spears was stopped sits near the Ventura County and Los Angeles County border, approximately 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles — not far from her home in Thousand Oaks, California.
Spears was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department records. She was booked several hours after being taken into custody. TMZ, which was reportedly the first outlet to break the story, reported that Spears was taken to a hospital after the traffic stop so officers could draw her blood to determine her blood alcohol content — not because she had sustained any injuries.
Inmate records show Spears was booked at approximately 3 a.m. Thursday and released just after 6 a.m. under a cite-and-release process, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported the arrest was on suspicion of driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs, citing the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Spears is scheduled to appear in court on May 4.
A representative for Spears moved quickly to address the arrest, issuing a statement that called the incident “completely inexcusable” and said Spears intends to comply with the law. The representative added that her boys would be spending time with her and that loved ones would develop a plan to support her well-being. Spears has two sons with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.
By Thursday morning, Spears’ Instagram account — which had frequently featured videos of her dancing in her Thousand Oaks home — appeared to have been deactivated or taken down, according to NBC Los Angeles. The disappearance of the account, which had served as Spears’ primary public communication channel for years, added another layer of concern among fans and observers.
The arrest comes during a period of significant professional activity for the singer. Spears reportedly sold the rights to her music catalog to publisher Primary Wave for approximately $200 million in recent weeks, according to NBC News and FOX 11 Los Angeles. She also published a bestselling memoir titled “The Woman in Me” in 2023.
Spears’ personal life has been the subject of intense media attention for decades. Her father, Jamie Spears, was granted conservatorship over her assets following her hospitalization for a psychiatric evaluation in 2008. That conservatorship lasted approximately 13 years before being terminated in 2021, a legal battle that sparked the global “Free Britney” movement and prompted widespread debate about guardianship laws.
Wednesday’s arrest was not Spears’ first brush with law enforcement. She was charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run in 2007, though that case was later dismissed after she paid for the damages, according to The New York Times. More recently, Spears had been granted a permanent restraining order against a Louisiana man who allegedly showed up at her Los Angeles-area home after sharing disturbing messages online, according to TMZ.
The DUI arrest is likely to reignite public discussion about Spears’ well-being, a topic that has divided fans, media commentators, and legal experts for nearly two decades. For now, the singer faces a court date in May and the renewed glare of a spotlight that has never fully dimmed.
