Britney Spears has been charged with drunk driving following an incident in March when the pop star was pulled over near her home in California by authorities. 

The 44-year-old was formally charged by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug. She will be arraigned in court on May 4, although she is not required to attend, as it is a misdemeanor charge. 

The “Toxic” singer will likely receive a 12-month probation if she pleads guilty to reckless driving, wherein she will need to complete a driving under the influence (DUI) class and pay fines.  

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The lighter punishment she is likely to face is due to the fact that she has no prior DUI history, she had a low blood alcohol level at the time, and there was no crash or injury involved. Britney was arrested on March 5 after she was seen driving “erratically” and “showed signs of impairment” before submitting to “a series of field sobriety tests”.

She was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. and was released at 6 a.m. the following morning. Her representative quickly shared a statement in the wake of her arrest, saying: “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.” 

“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” they said.

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“Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well-being.”

Learn more about Britney’s conservatorship battle below…

Britney’s representative then confirmed in April that she had voluntarily entered a treatment facility to seek the support she needed. Three weeks after her arrest, the mother of two shared a sweet reunion with her sons, Preston, 20, and Jayden, 19, as they soaked up the sun on a boat. 

She shares her boys with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, whom she split from in 2006, just two months after Jayden was born. Her sons have lived in Hawai’i with their father since 2023, and Britney has shared a complex relationship with the pair over the years. 

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“The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting,” she wrote on X in 2025 after Kevin released his memoir, You Thought You Knew, and made several explosive claims about his ex-wife. “I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys. Relationships with teenage boys is complex,” she continued. 

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“I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life. Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by [their] own father for me. They need to take responsibility for themselves.”

The Grammy winner claimed she had only seen her sons “for 45 min” and had only “four visits” with them in five years. “From now on, I will let them know when I am available.”