ESPN Services Jul 6, 2023, 6:16 p.m. Read: 3 min.
LAS VEGAS – San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said Thursday that he believes Britney Spears grabbed him from behind as he was entering a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino, and that the security team he was with pushed the pop star.
Wembanyama said he wasn’t told Spears was the person who grabbed him until hours later.
Spears filed a police report alleging she was struck by a security guard while trying to get Wembanyama’s attention, according to TMZ, which first reported the alleged details of the incident that took place Wednesday night near a restaurant at the hotel. and ARIA casino.
TMZ said Spears was in a group of four trying to get into a restaurant for dinner and “was surrounded by fans when she entered the casino.”
Victor Wembanyama, during a Summer League training session with the Spurs. Photo: Getty
TMZ said that Spears noticed Wembanyama and tapped him on the shoulder in an effort to get his attention; Spears, the site said, ended up being punched in the face by her and her glasses ripped off.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times saying officers responded to an “assault investigation” at that address without specifying individual names. The statement went on to say that “no arrests or citations have been issued” and that “no further details will be provided at this time.”
Spears’ representatives did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Wembanyama said security advised him not to stop for anyone when entering the restaurant, aware that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to form.
“Something happened, a little bit, when I was walking with a little bit of team security to a restaurant,” Wembanyama said. “We were in the hallway. There were a lot of people, so people were calling me, obviously. There was a person calling me, but we spoke beforehand for sure.”
“I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘Sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t see what happened because I was walking in a straight line and I didn’t stop. That person grabbed me from behind, not my shoulder, he grabbed me from behind. I just know that security pushed her. I don’t know. I don’t know how hard but security pushed her away. I didn’t stop to look so I could go in and have a nice dinner.”
Wembanyama said he was not aware that the situation had made headlines until Thursday.
“I didn’t know for a couple of hours, but when I got back to the hotel…I thought it was no big deal, and then Spurs security told me it was Britney Spears,” Wembanyama said. “At first, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me,’ but yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears. I never saw her face. I just kept walking straight.”
Wembanyama will make his NBA Summer League debut with the Spurs on Friday night in Las Vegas against the Charlotte Hornets. He signed some autographs for fans at the ARIA on Wednesday night and did the same for a small crowd as he entered a local high school to practice with the Spurs Thursday morning.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
2023-07-06 22:25:52
#Victor #Wembanyama #describes #incident #bodyguard #Britney #Spears
