Pop star Britney Spears has been charged with driving under the influence in California following an alleged incident earlier this year, according to prosecutors in Ventura County near Los Angeles.
Authorities said the 44-year-old singer faces a misdemeanour DUI charge related to an arrest in March. Officials have not publicly disclosed which substance was allegedly involved in the case.
Spears is expected to appear for arraignment on Monday, although prosecutors stated that her legal team may represent her in court because the offence is classified as a misdemeanour.
According to officials, the singer may avoid jail time if she accepts a plea agreement commonly offered in first-time DUI cases that do not involve injuries or major property damage. Under the proposed arrangement, Spears could plead guilty to reckless driving linked to alcohol or drugs, receive probation, attend a court-ordered driving safety programme, and pay a financial penalty.
Following the arrest, representatives for Spears described the incident as unacceptable and said the singer intended to cooperate fully with legal authorities. Reports also indicate that she later entered a rehabilitation programme voluntarily.
Spears rose to international fame in the late 1990s with chart-topping hits including …Baby One More Time and became one of the most recognisable pop stars in the world. In recent years, however, she has remained largely away from the music industry spotlight.
The singer’s personal life has frequently drawn public attention, especially after her highly publicised mental health struggles and conservatorship battle. In 2021, a Los Angeles court officially ended the conservatorship that had placed control of her finances and personal decisions under her father for more than a decade.
In her memoir The Woman in Me, released in 2023, Spears denied having a serious drinking or hard drug problem, though she acknowledged using prescription ADHD medication in the past.
