Britney Spears detained for DUI in Ventura County, set free under ‘cite and release’

VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Pop star Britney Spears was arrested in Ventura County, California, on the morning of Thursday, March 5, on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), authorities confirmed.

Britney, 44, was taken into custody late Wednesday, March 4, night and released several hours later under a 'cite and release' process, according to arrest records.

The singer is scheduled to appear in court on May 4 in connection with the incident. The arrest comes as Britney has largely kept a lower public profile in recent years following the end of her high-profile conservatorship in 2021.

Britney Spears arrested on suspicion of DUI in Ventura County

Authorities said Britney was pulled over by officers from the California Highway Patrol on the evening of March 4 in Ventura County, California.

According to records from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, the singer was taken into custody around 9:30 pm and later booked in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The arrest was reported as a suspected case of DUI, which stands for Driving Under the Influence, a charge typically related to operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Britney was released several hours later under a “cite and release” procedure, meaning she was issued a citation and allowed to leave custody while awaiting a court appearance.

Her next court date has been scheduled for May 4, when she is expected to respond to the charge.

Authorities have not publicly released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the traffic stop. Around the same time the news emerged, Britney’s Instagram account, which had frequently featured dance videos and personal posts, appeared to have been deleted.

Representatives for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and Spears had not publicly commented on the arrest at the time of reporting.

Arrest comes amid personal updates and career changes

The latest legal issue comes during a period of relative privacy for Britney following years of intense public attention. In 2021, a Los Angeles County judge ended the singer’s nearly 13-year conservatorship, which had placed many aspects of her personal life, finances and career under court supervision.

Singer Britney Spears performs onstage during 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2016 presented by Capital One at Staples Center on December 2, 2016 in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images)

The legal arrangement began in 2008 after Britney experienced widely publicized personal struggles. For more than a decade, the conservatorship gave court-appointed managers, including her father, oversight of major decisions in her life.

In November 2021, Judge Brenda Penny ruled that the conservatorship was “no longer required,” restoring Britney’s full legal independence.

Since then, Britney has occasionally shared updates about her life and family on social media.

In January, she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that she “will never perform in the US again because of extremely sensitive reasons.” She added,“but I hope to be sitting on a stool with a red rose in my hair, in a bun, performing with my son… in the UK and AUSTRALIA very soon.”

Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges or developments are expected before Spears’ scheduled court appearance in May.