Tottenham junior Victor Wimbanyama has addressed allegations that a member of his security team slapped pop singer Britney Spears at a Las Vegas restaurant Wednesday night. Here’s what you need to know:
- Someone “grabbed me from behind,” Wimpanyama told reporters at the Summer League on Thursday, and that he didn’t see what happened because he kept moving forward.
- Spears A statement was issued about the incident on social media, saying she “simply patted him on the shoulder”.
- Wembanyama is in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League, which starts Thursday night.
What did Wembanyama say
Animal He said Thursday, “Something happened a little when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant.”
“We were in a hall with a lot of people, obviously people coming in,” Wimpanyama said. “One person was coming up to me, but we had talked security into not stopping because it would be a crowd, so I couldn’t stop. … That person grabbed me from behind.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and we said don’t stop. But that person grabbed me from behind not by my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind. So I just know security pushed her away. But I don’t know how much force, but security pushed her away. She didn’t.” I stop looking so I keep walking, and enjoy a nice dinner.”
Wimbanyama did not mention Spears directly.
What Spears said
Spears released a statement on Twitter, Saying, “Traumatic experiences are nothing new to me and I’ve had my fair share of them.”
“I wasn’t prepared for what happened to me last night,” Spears wrote. “I was introduced to one of the athletes in the hotel lobby when I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant in a different hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. He was really loud, so I tapped his shoulder to get his attention.”
“I am aware of the player’s statement where he mentioned ‘I grabbed him from behind’, but I simply patted him on the shoulder. Then he handed his guards in the face without looking back in front of a crowd. It almost knocked me over and caused my glasses to take off my face.
Spears wrote that she was “huddled by people all the time,” and that night, a group of at least 20 fans invaded her.
“My security team didn’t hit any of them,” she wrote. “This story is very embarrassing to share with the world but it does exist. However, I think it is important to share this story and get people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect.
Spears said that it “has yet to get a public apology from the player, his security, or his organization” and “I hope they do.”
background story
Multiple reports confirmed that an incident occurred on Wednesday and Spears filed a police report with the Las Vegas City Police Department.
“On July 5, 2023, at approximately 11 p.m., LVMPD officers responded to a property on the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard in connection with the battery investigation,” the department’s office of public information said. “The incident was documented in a police report, and no arrest or summons has been issued.”
Wimpanyama was the Spurs’ No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
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(Photo: Lucas Peltier/USA Today Sports)