Britney Spears denies battery after police investigate row with employee
Britney Spears in 2017. (Scott Dudelson/Getty)
Britney Spears’ lawyer has said a battery investigation into the singer is “overblown” after she was accused of slapping an employee’s phone out of their hand.
The “Toxic” singer is being investigated by police in California following an incident at her home on Monday (16 August).
In the state of California, misdemeanour battery refers to intentional and unlawful physical contact with another person. The Ventura County Sheriff’s office is conducting an inquiry and will send its findings to prosecutors, who will then decide whether to bring charges against Britney Spears.
In a statement sent to the BBC and other news outlets, Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart branded the investigation “overblown sensational tabloid fodder”, adding that it was “nothing more than a manufactured ‘he said she said’ regarding a cellphone”.
Rosengart insisted that there was “no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever”.
“Anyone can make an accusation, but this should have been closed immediately,” Rosengart said.
“To its credit, the Sheriff’s Office itself has acknowledged that the incident was classified as a ‘very minor misdemeanour…’ and confirmed ‘there were no injuries.'”
Britney Spears hired Mathew Rosengart to help her win freedom
The incident comes just weeks after Britney Spears hired Rosengart to represent her in her battle to have her father removed from her conservatorship.
Under the terms of the complex legal arrangement, the singer’s father has been allowed to exercise significant control over her life and finances for more than a decade.
Spears was previously represented by her court-appointed lawyer, Samuel Ingham III, however she was granted permission to hire her own representation following a bombshell court appearance in June.
Speaking to the court, Spears characterised her conservatorship as “abusive”, telling a Los Angeles judge that she had been prevented from marrying her boyfriend Sam Asghari and from having children with him.
The singer was also highly critical of her court-appointed lawyer, adding that she wanted the chance to hire her own representation.
She hired Rosengart just weeks later. He subsequently promised to work “aggressively” and “expeditiously” to have Britney’s now-estranged father Jamie removed from her conservatorship.
Jamie Spears has since agreed to step down as Britney’s conservator, however he has not given a timeline of when he will officially leave the arrangement.
