The Britney Spears slap drama is only getting stranger.
New video of the now-infamous slap appears to contradict NBA star Victor Wembanyama’s claim that the pop star “grabbed” him from behind before San Antonio Spurs security director Damian Smith backhanded her in the face at a Las Vegas hotel and casino.
In the video, obtained by TMZ, Spears calls for Wembanyama’s attention by yelling “Sir, sir!” as they both approached the Catch restaurant at the ARIA hotel and casino. She appears to reach up to the back of his shoulder and tap him—although it’s hard to tell whether she actually made contact. Smith is then seen lifting his hand toward her face with an audible slapping sound as Spears’ neck jerks back slightly.
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The video mostly backs Spears’ account of the incident, in which she claims “security back handed me in the face, without looking back, in front of a crowd.” However, it’s unclear if Smith directly smacked Spears in the face, or if in swatting her hand away, he caused Spears to strike herself.
TMZ reported that Spears’ glasses did fly off her face as she said, but she wasn’t knocked to the ground as previously reported. She filed a police report but Las Vegas police told Page Six on Friday that Smith won’t face any criminal charges following a battery investigation.
Wembanyama and Spears have given somewhat different versions of the story. The basketball sensation, and recent No. 1 draft pick, told a KENS 5 reporter on Thursday, “That person grabbed me from behind—not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind.”
“I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘Sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind,” he said. “I just know the security pushed her away. I don’t know with how much force but security pushed her away.”
He said he was unaware who she was at first and thought “it was no big deal” until security “told me it was Britney Spears.” Right after the slap, someone loudly declared “Yo that’s Britney Spears!” but Wembanyama kept walking.
Wembanyama and Spears have given somewhat different versions of the story.
ReutersSpears described the incident on Instagram as a “traumatic experience” and shut down Wembanyama’s accusation that she grabbed him.
“It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. I am aware of the players statement where he mentions ‘I grabbed him from behind’ but I simply tapped him on the shoulder,” Spears wrote.
At the end of the video, Spears shouts “That’s America for you. F*ck you all!” While she went on to attend a dinner with her friends, a witness told TMZ Spears still seemed upset.
