Britney Spears will NOT face charges in housekeeper battery case as D.A. cites ‘insufficient evidence’ and ‘lack of injury’ as reasons for declining to pursue legal action against the star
- Britney Spears’ housekeeper originally made battery complaint against her in August, accusing singer of slapping the phone out of her hands
- Spears and her staffer allegedly had heated dispute over the care of one of the singers’ dogs after housekeeper had taken the pet to the vet Monday, August 16
- Spears’ attorney denied battery claim, calling it ‘tabloid fodder’ in a statement to DailyMail.com
- The D.A. announced Wednesday that Spears would ‘not be charged with any crimes’ relating to the incident
- They cited ‘insufficient evidence’ and ‘lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone’ as their reasons for declining the case
Britney Spears will not face criminal charges over a battery complaint made by her longtime housekeeper, who alleged the singer slapped a phone out of her hand during a heated debate in August.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement in a statement Wednesday, stressing that Spears would ‘not be charged with any crimes’ relating to the incident.
After reviewing the case, prosecutors ‘declined to file charges based upon insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred and the lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone.’
No charges: Britney Spears will not face criminal charges over a battery complaint made by her longtime housekeeper in August, as per the Ventura County D.A. on Wednesday
As TMZ first reported, the alleged altercation at Spears’ California home on Monday, August 16 resulted in a complaint filed with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart told DailyMail.com in an email at the time: ‘This is sensational tabloid fodder — nothing more than an overblown alleged misdemeanor involving a ‘he-said-she-said’ regarding a cell phone, with no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever,’ Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, stated. ‘Anyone can make an accusation. This should have been closed immediately.’
Spears’ housekeeper told deputies that she had taken one of her famous employer’s dogs to the veterinarian and claimed there were issues with the animal’s treatment.
When the housekeeper returned home at around 10.25am on Monday, she was allegedly confronted by Spears about her dog’s well-being.
Incident: The housekeeper alleged that Spears slapped a phone out of her hand during a heated debate in August regarding the singer’s pets
The argument between the Oops, I Did It Again songstress and her staff member then escalated and turned physical, with Spears swatting a phone out of the housekeeper’s hands, according to the woman.
A spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office told DailyMail.com in an email confirming the incident that the housekeeper reported that ‘Ms Spears struck her. There were no injuries during the incident.’
The housekeeper initially summoned deputies to Spears’ house in Thousand Oaks, but then went to a sheriff’s station and filed a report alleging battery.
According to TMZ, when deputies contacted Spears, 39, she refused to talk to them.
Insufficient evidence: After reviewing the case, prosecutors ‘declined to file charges based upon insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred and the lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone’
At home: The alleged altercation took place inside Spears’ California home Monday; August 16
A source connected with Spears claimed the sheriff’s office assured the singer’s team that the case concerning her housekeeper would go nowhere.
The spokesperson for the agency said the sheriff will submit the findings of the investigation to the District Attorney’s Office, which will determine if a charge of misdemeanor battery should be filed against Spears.
Under California law, misdemeanor battery is punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine.
Spears has not directly addressed the allegations made against her. Instead, she shared a photo on Thursday with her 33.4million Instagram followers, which shows a young girl in a paper crown making a rude hand gesture. She wrote in the caption: ‘I feel like she’s made her point perfectly clear!!!’
A year ago, Jayden Federline, Spears’ 14-year-old son by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, said in an Instagram Live video that one of his mother’s three dogs had been taken away by her dog-sitter because the singer ‘kept her in the cage too long… it was kind of wacko.’
Social butterfly: Spears has been busy in recent days sharing topless photos of herself with her 33.4million followers on Instagram. Earlier this week, she denied having a breast augmentation surgery
A video that appeared on Spears’ Instagram page in 2019 showed her cuddling and kissing a small white Maltese.
There has been no signs of any dogs on the singer’s social media account in recent months. Instead, Spears has been busy posting topless or scantily clad photos of herself.
The incident with the housekeeper comes amid Spears’ protracted and highly publicized fight to end her conservatorship, which controlled her life and finances for the past 13 years.
Last week, Jamie Spears, 69, announced in a court filing that he is planning to step down from his role as his daughter’s conservator, but on his own terms and not imminently.
Jamie Spears’ lawyers said he’s been ‘the unremitting target of unjustified attacks’ amid the publicly contested arrangement, which has seen a nationwide group of supporters for the singer dubbed the #FreeBritney movement frequently taking to the streets to demonstrate against the legal arrangement swirling around the songstress.
Tensions: The incident came amid Spears’ protracted fight to end her father Jamie’s 13-year conservatorship. Pictured: Britney and Jamie Spears in 2015
Spears has called her conservatorship ‘abusive,’ telling a judge during her explosive June testimony: ‘I just want my life back. And it’s been 13 years. And it’s enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve owned my money.’
Spears’ 27-year-old boyfriend, Sam Asghari, on Wednesday told a photographer that the singer will ‘hopefully’ resume her singing career, despite recent retirement rumors.
Spears in June said she had been required to use an intrauterine device for birth control, take medications against her will and was prevented from getting married, having another child or even riding in her boyfriend’s car unsupervised.
‘This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,’ the 39-year-old Spears said at the time. ‘I deserve to have a life.’
The next hearing in Spears’ conservatorship case is scheduled for September 29.
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