Britney Spears arrested in California, court date set for May 4

Pop icon Britney Spears was arrested in California on Wednesday evening and booked in the early hours of Thursday, before being released at 6am. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 4. This incident is not her first brush with the law; back in 2007, she faced four misdemeanour charges related to an alleged hit-and-run, though the charges were later dropped after she paid for the damages. Recently, Spears successfully obtained a restraining order against a stalker who had been following her since 2013, after disturbing social media posts and an unannounced visit to her home. The singer has also made headlines for privately selling her music catalogue to Primary Wave, a music management company. Following her latest arrest, Spears deleted her Instagram account, with her last post referencing fragility and caution. While she has publicly stated she will no longer perform live in the US, she has shown little interest in releasing new music since ending her conservatorship. Spears continues to maintain a presence through social media appearances and viral collaborations, including her 2022 work with Elton John and the 2023 track with will.i.am.