This story has been updated from a previous version.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama finds himself embroiled in his first NBA controversy just two weeks after the Spurs made him the No. 1 overall pick.
As is the case with many NBA controversies, though, this isn't one of Wembanyama's making. The French phenom's security guard, Spurs director of security Damian Smith, has been accused of assaulting pop star Britney Spears after an incident at a Las Vegas hotel on Wednesday.
According to TMZ, the incident is being handled as a criminal investigation.
It's still early in the NBA offseason, but the interaction will assuredly go down as one of its most bizarre headlines.
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Here's a closer look at what exactly happened between Wembanyama, his security team and Spears after the Spurs rookie told his side of the story.
Victor Wembamyama-Britney Spears incident, explained
Spears' security team filed a police report after Spurs security guard Damian Smith allegedly slapped her while Wembanyama entered a Las Vegas restaurant. A purported eyewitness to the incident told TMZ Spears "pursued" Wembanyama while saying, "Excuse me sir, excuse me sir."
TMZ reports Smith turned around and "backhanded" Spears, knocking her glasses off and causing her to fall to the ground. Spears was reportedly looking to take a picture with the 19-year-old.
Wembanyama spoke to reporters on the eve of his Summer League debut to address the incident, claiming Spears "grabbed" him from behind.
"That person grabbed me from behind," Wembanyama said, adding, "I just knew that security pushed her away. I don't know with how much force, though."
.@vicw_32 on the situation last night involving Britney Spears pic.twitter.com/I0mHJvJzs4
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) July 6, 2023
The Spurs rookie acknowledged that he was aware one person was calling his name but didn't stop to avoid creating a crowd. He told reporters he didn't think anything of it until he found out later in the night that Spears was the woman trying to get his attention.
"At first I was like, 'No, you're joking," Wembanyama said, explaining that he never saw her face before or after the incident.
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The incident occurred while Wembanyama was entering Catch restaurant at the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas.
Spears released a statement Thursday evening, calling the situation "traumatic" and pointing out that she has not gotten a public apology from Wembanyama or the Spurs.
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) July 6, 2023
Update: According to a report from the Associated Press, the Las Vegas Police Department will decline to press charges against Smith. Video surveillance reportedly showed Spears "inadvertently hit herself in the face" after he pushed her hand off Wembanyama's back.
Wembanyama is set to make his Summer League debut for the Spurs in Las Vegas on Friday against No. 2 pick Brandon Miller and the Hornets. Before he even plays a game, San Antonio's new face of the franchise is getting an early taste of what stardom is like away from the court.
Victor Wembamyama-Britney Spears video
Footage of the incident — which lasts only 17 seconds — shows Spears approach Wembanyama and attempt to get his attention from behind. She did not grab him, as he claimed, but neither does the clip show Spears getting knocked to the ground (it is uncertain whether she fell after the footage concluded).
It does show someone's arm — Smith's, presumably — reach in from out of frame, though it's uncertain whether he struck her face or caused her to strike herself.
Here is video of the incident from TMZ (via The NBA Central):
Video of Britney Spears and Victor Wembanyama:
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 7, 2023
(Via TMZ) pic.twitter.com/KIr0jy9Lbh
Who is Damian Smith?
Smith is the Spurs' director of security, not a personal security guard hired by Wembanyama. He was part of a security team surrounding Wembanyama at the time.
Smith apologized to Spears once he realized who she was, according to TMZ, telling her, "You understand how it is when you're being swarmed by fans." Though Spears reportedly accepted the apology, her team is still alleging assault.
Britney Spears net worth
Forbes estimates Spears' net worth at about $60 million.
Spears has been a premier name in the music and entertainment industry for more than two decades, though her career has been hit by controversies over the years, including public mental health struggles and a fight to end a conservatorship that oversaw her assets for 13 years.