Britney Spears won’t be charged with battery after housekeeper row due to ‘insufficient evidence’
Britney Spears announcing her second Las Vegas residency, Domination, which was ultimately cancelled. (Getty)
Britney Spears will not face criminal charges of battery for allegedly swatting her housekeeper’s mobile phone in a home dispute last month.
On Wednesday (1 September), California prosecutors said in a statement that charges will not be filed due to “insufficient evidence, lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone”.
Spears’ housekeeper filed a battery complaint against the “Toxic” hitmaker in August claiming that her phone had been slapped out of her hand during a fiery debate over veterinary care for her dog.
Deputies launched a misdemeanour battery investigation with the case then submitted to prosecutors to comb over.
But it was dismissed by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, with District Attorney Erik Nasarenko writing in a news release that the decision came after deputies “thoroughly reviewed” the case.
Britney Spears housekeeper had ‘no visible injuries’ after alleged scuffle over dog
The incident allegedly unfolded when Britney’s housekeeper took one of the star’s dogs to the veterinarian.
There were issues with the pet’s well-being, she told deputies, who later confronted Britney about it when she returned to her property in the Thousand Oaks area of Los Angeles at around 10:25am.
After the alleged scuffle, she called deputies but later went to the sheriff’s station to file the alleged battery report.
“On August 16, 2021, Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Spears’ residence based on a call for service,” the district attorney’s office wrote.
“Spears’ housekeeper later reported that she had an argument with Spears’ regarding the veterinary care of Spears’ dog. During the argument, Spears was alleged to have slapped a phone out of the housekeeper’s hand.”
Britney Spears making a rare red carpet appearance.(Getty/Valerie Macon)
The housekeeper had told deputies that the phone’s screen protector had been damaged, according to the district attorney’s office. She had “no visible injuries”, they added.
California’s penal code defines misdemeanour battery as intentional and unlawful physical contact with another person. Punishments typically range from fines to months-long imprisonment.
Britney’s attorney, former federal prosecutor Matthew Rosengart, had previously shrugged off the charges as “overblown sensational tabloid fodder” in a statement to press last month.
As the row with the employee roared on against efforts to end Britney’s 13-year-long conservatorship, Rosengart said the case was “nothing more than a manufactured ‘he said she said’ regarding a cellphone” and stressed 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.'”
