No charges will be filed against Victor Wembanyama's security guard after the alleged Las Vegas incident.
Britney Spears' police report will not result in charges. On Friday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told ET that it's concluded its investigation of the alleged battery incident between Spears and the security guard for Victor Wembanyama, and said that no charges will be filed against the security guard involved.
Earlier this week, Spears filed a police report after allegedly being assaulted by a security guard for the NBA star. The incident happened at Catch restaurant at the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas, where Spears was dining with husband Sam Asghari.
Las Vegas Police previously issued a statement to ET, saying, "On July 5, 2023, at approximately 11 p.m., LVMPD officers responded to a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard regarding a battery investigation. The incident has been documented on a police report, and no arrest or citations have been issued. No further details will be provided at this time."
According to the police report obtained by ET, officers spoke with Cade Hudson, Spears' entertainment manager, by phone because she and her entourage had already left the property when authorities arrived. The singer did not provide a statement to police herself.
Hudson told the police that when Spears saw Wembanyama, she went to tap him on the shoulder, and when she did this, his bodyguard "immediately backhanded Britney in the face with a closed fist, knocking her glasses off of her face." Hudson said Spears and her entourage then proceeded to dinner, where Smith came over to identify himself and apologize to Spears. Hudson said that Spears "continued to cry."
Officers also spoke with Quaran Smith Sr., who identified himself as part of Spears' security team. When asked about the incident, Quaran said that the guard had not "hit" Spears nor swung with a "closed fist." He clarified that Smith had pushed Spears' hand off of the Spurs player "without looking" and "not knowing who was tapping him on the shoulder." Quaran called the action a "standard response" for most security teams or bodyguards. Quaran also advised that when the guard came over to talk to Spears about the incident, both parties said sorry to each other, and they thought the incident had ended.
The report also references a conversation with Steven Ketter, another member of Spears' security team, who echoed Quaran's statements. Ketter stated that although he could not see how the guard reacted to Spears' tap for attention, "it had looked more like he had pushed her off of him without looking."
Ketter reiterated Quaran’s point that the guard's reaction was a standard response for those in security and "would not be uncommon for them to respond this way."
According to the report, officers watched surveillance footage of the incident, and observed that the guard "pushes her hand off of the player without looking, which causes Britney's hand to hit herself in the face." Thus, they concluded that the guard did not willfully or unlawfully use any force or violence on Spears.
TMZ, who was first to report the news, obtained a video of the incident, showing the singer tap Wembanyama on the shoulder, before the guard steps in. The outlet reported that the man listed on the police report is Damian Smith, the Director of Team Security for the Spurs.
An eyewitness who was at the restaurant told ET, "Britney approached Victor, and after being hit, she went inside Catch restaurant. Britney went and sat in a corner booth by herself. However, the table was actually Pauly Shore's, who was in the bathroom. Pauly came out from the bathroom to see Britney Spears at his table. He politely asked for his bag that he left at the table and said hi to Britney. Sam and other members of Britney's team joined her at the table. Victor’s security apologized to Britney, and she accepted the apology."
Wembanyama spoke to reporters on Thursday, and shared his account of events.
"I didn't see what happened, because I was walking straight and we were told, 'Don't stop,'" he recalled. "But that person grabbed me from behind -- not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind -- and so I just know the security pushed her away."
"I don't know with how much force, though. But security pushed her away," the 19-year-old NBA star added. "I didn't stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy the nice dinner."
Wembanyama said he didn't see Spears' face and didn't realize who she was until later in the night.
"At first I was like, 'No, you're joking,'" he said. "But, yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears."
Asghari responded to the incident on his Instagram stories on Thursday, writing, "I am opposed to violence in any form, especially without justification in the defense of yourself or someone who is unable to defend themselves. Self-defense can be unavoidable, but the defense of any woman, especially my wife, is not debatable. I consider my reaction subdued considering what occurred, and I hope the man in question learns a lesson and changes his disregard for women. Thank you for your support."
"The violent behavior of an out-of-control security guard should not cast a shadow on the accomplishment of a great young man on the rise @wemby," he added. "The blame should fall on the coward who did this, the people who hired him without proper vetting, and a systemic culture of disregard for women within sports and entertainment."
Wembanyama, a 7'5" power forward and center, was selected No. 1 overall by the Spurs at the 2023 NBA Draft last month, making him the tallest active NBA player and the first French player to be drafted with the first pick.
ET has reached out to Spears' rep and the Spurs organization for comment.
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