LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears has been charged in California with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, authorities have said.
The 44-year-old pop star was on Thursday charged with a single misdemeanour count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.
A representative for Spears had no immediate comment.
The criminal complaint does not specify what type or quantity of alcohol or drugs Spears is alleged to have used.
Spears, who has since entered substance abuse treatment, was arrested on March 4 after she was stopped for driving her black BMW at speed and erratically on US 101 near her home, the California Highway Patrol said.
She was found to be possibly impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs before being taken to a Ventura County jail, the CHP said.
She was released on bail the following day.
Police completed their investigation and submitted it to prosecutors on March 23.
A representative at the time described Spears’ actions as “completely inexcusable” and said it would ideally mark “the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life”. Spears later voluntarily checked into a substance abuse treatment facility, her representative said.
Spears’ arraignment is scheduled for Monday.
Because it is a misdemeanour charge, she will not be required to appear in court, prosecutors said.
They added that the case will be handled according to standard protocol for defendants with no prior DUI history, no crash or injury, and a low blood-alcohol level.
At the hearing, Spears is expected to be offered what is commonly known as a “wet reckless” plea, allowing a defendant to plead guilty in exchange for a year of probation, credit for any time served in jail, mandatory DUI classes, and state fines and fees.
Such an offer is commonly made, particularly where defendants have shown willingness to seek treatment and address underlying issues, the district attorney’s office said.
The singer has a home in Ventura County just outside the Los Angeles County line.
Her arraignment will take place in the city of Ventura, a coastal community of around 110,000 people about 70 miles (113 kilometres) north-west of downtown Los Angeles.
The former teen pop phenomenon and “Mickey Mouse Club” alum rose to global fame in the late 1990s and 2000s with hits such as Toxic, Gimme More and I’m a Slave 4 U.
Most of Spears’ albums have been certified platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, including two diamond-certified records: 1999’s …Baby One More Time and 2000’s Oops!… I Did It Again.
She became a major tabloid figure in the early 2000s amid public scrutiny over her personal life and struggles with mental health, closely followed by paparazzi.
In 2008, Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, primarily overseen by her father and legal team, which controlled her personal and financial affairs for more than a decade.
The conservatorship was terminated in 2021.
Since then, she has married and divorced, and released a bestselling memoir, The Woman in Me. In recent years, she has largely stepped back from music, releasing only a few collaborative singles since her last studio album in 2016.
(With inputs from PTI)
