A new video shows the shocking moment Britney Spears was slapped by NBA star Victor Wembanyama’s security guard – and it proves she didn’t grab him.
A clip obtained by TMZ shows the moments leading up to the shock incident outside the Catch restaurant at the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday — Britney, 41, runs towards Victor, 19, and shouts “Sir, sir, sir!” in British accent before tapping him on the shoulder.
As she taps the star, security guard Damian Smith can be seen throwing a punch at her – either punching her in the face or flying her hand in her face, causing the star to scream out and her glasses to fall off from the impact.
After the slap, the singer was immediately swarmed by her loved ones.
After the slap, an angry Britney is heard shouting in a British accent, ‘This is America for you.’ F*** you all!’
Wembanyama had claimed the clash erupted when Spears abruptly grabbed him from behind, prompting his security guard to act, while the singer claimed she “just patted him on the shoulder”.
This comes after it was revealed that the security guard for NBA sensation Wembanyama will not be charged in the incident.
Video evidence: A new video has shown the shocking moment Britney Spears was punched by NBA star Victor Wembanyama’s guard – and it proved she hadn’t grabbed him
Wembanyama said during a press crowd at the NBA Summer League that Spears “grabbed me from behind,” prompting his team to spring into action – but the video refutes that
A spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced on Friday that the investigation into the incident was complete.
“No charges will be brought against the person concerned,” the spokesman said.
The two stars have clashed over the incident in recent days, with Wembanyama telling a press conference on Thursday that Spears “grabbed” him when she tried to meet him at the posh restaurant.
Ahead of his very first game for the San Antonio Spurs, the 19-year-old admitted it wasn’t until hours later that he realized the person who had grabbed him was Spears.
“At first I was like, ‘No, you’re kidding,'” he said. “But yeah, it turned out to be Britney Spears,” he said.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and we were told, ‘Don’t stop.'” But this person grabbed me from behind — not by my shoulder, they grabbed me from behind — and therefore white I just think security pushed them away.”
Spears has claimed the guard caused her to fall painfully to the ground, but Wembanyama said at the time he didn’t know how hard she was hit.
“I don’t know with how much force, though.” But security turned her away. “I didn’t stop to look but was able to go in and enjoy the lovely dinner,” he said.
Standing at 7ft 4in, Victor Wembanyama is one of the hottest youngsters in basketball in years. He is pictured at a play in Nevada in October 2022
Wait a minute: Britney was pictured just before she was “slapped in the face”.
Related: Spears had been enjoying time out in Las Vegas at around 8:30 p.m. with husband Sam Asghari and two other people at the Catch Restaurant at the ARIA Hotel
Violent outburst: Wembanyama is seen with his security guard shortly before the incident on Wednesday
Spears dismissed his version of events, claiming the “griffin” was actually a “simple pat on the back.”
The pop star reportedly reached out to Wembanyama to meet him ahead of his NBA debut, but in her attempts to take a picture, the security guard reportedly punched her while trying to defend the star.
She added on Instagram that the force of the punch – allegedly from Damian Smith – “almost knocked me out” and that she was “unprepared”.
An eyewitness also claimed to TMZ that Spears approached Wembanyama and said in a British accent, “Excuse me sir, excuse me sir,” before shouting, “This is fucking America!” after the alleged attack, when Victor entered the restaurant.
The pop star called the story “super embarrassing to share with the world but it’s already out” and claimed that her security team has never attacked anyone, despite being harassed by fans for decades.
“I get swarmed by people all the time,” she said. “In fact, that night I was surrounded by a group of at least 20 fans. “My security team didn’t attack any of them.”
She said she decided to speak out because she felt it was “important to share this story and to urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect.”
Spears has claimed she has yet to receive an apology from the NBA freshman or his security team, but said she hasn’t given up hope one will come.
“I appreciate the tremendous love and support I’m receiving right now,” she said.
“Thank you to the Las Vegas Police Department and investigators for their support.”
Spears’ team filed charges of assault after they were allegedly hit by the security guard, sparking an investigation by the Las Vegas Police Department.
Spears’ husband Sam Asghari also released a statement on his Instagram Story, defending his wife – who he says was “physically assaulted” – and slamming Wembanyama’s security team, but saying the 19-year-old was not guilty may accuse
Spears’ husband Sam Asghari also released a statement on his Instagram Story defending his wife – who he says was “physically assaulted”.
He also criticized Wembanyama’s security team but said the incident should not be blamed on the 19-year-old.
“The violent behavior of a runaway security guard shouldn’t cast a shadow over the performance of a great young man on the rise @wemby,” he said, tagging Wembanyama.
“The blame should lie with the coward who did this, the people who hired him without proper scrutiny, and a systemic culture of disregard for women in sports and entertainment.”