NBA star Victor Wembanyama addresses Britney Spears slap incident: ‘She grabbed me from behind’
Victor Wembanyama has spoken out about the viral incident when his security detail allegedly slapped Britney Spears in the face.
“Something did happen, a little bit, when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant,” the NBA star, 19, told ESPN reporters Thursday.
“We were in the hall. There was a lot of people, so people were calling [at] me, obviously. There was one person who was calling me but we talked before with security.”
Wembanyama said that he “couldn’t stop” when a person, who happened to be the “Toxic” singer, was calling him and he said she “grabbed” him from behind.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop,” he added.
“That person grabbed me from behind — not on my shoulder — she grabbed me from behind. I just know the security pushed her away.”
While the San Antonio Spurs player said he didn’t know “how much force” his security used, he does know that he “pushed her away.”
“I didn’t stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy a nice dinner,” he said while laughing.
Wembanyama said he was unaware that the fan who tried to talk to him was Spears, 41, until Thursday.
“I didn’t know for a couple hours, but when I came back to the hotel … I thought it was no big deal, and then security of the Spurs told me it was Britney Spears,” the pro baller told ESPN.
“At first, I was like, ‘You’re joking,’ but yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears. I never saw her face. I just kept walking straight.”
On Wednesday night, the Grammy winner was allegedly smacked in the face by Wembanyama’s security at celebrity hotspot Catch inside the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, per TMZ.
A source told the outlet that Spears was a “fan” of the athlete — who had just signed with the Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft — and she went up to him to see if they could take a photo together.
Moments before the alleged incident took place, the “Womanizer” singer and her husband, Sam Asghari, were photographed approaching Wembanyama, who was walking alongside his security guard.
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Though a source told TMZ that the security later apologized to Spears at her table, the pop star took to Instagram Thursday, refuting the NBA player’s claims that she “grabbed” him.
“It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. I am aware of the player’s statement where he mentions I ‘grabbed him from behind’ but I simply tapped his shoulder,” the “Gimme More” songstress wrote.
“His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd,” she claimed.
“Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses to fall off my face.”
Spears then demanded a public mea culpa for the security guard’s alleged actions.
“I have yet to receive a public apology from the player, his security or their organization,” she wrote, adding, “I hope they will.”
Asghari, 29, also spoke out in defense of his wife, calling out the Spurs organization as a whole.
“The blame should fall on the coward who did this, the people who hired him without proper vetting, and a systematic culture of disregard for women within sports and entertainment,” the fitness instructor wrote on his Instagram Story Thursday.
Asghasri concluded his message by writing that he “looks forward” to seeing how the organization handles the situation.
