Britney Spears’ DUI arrest thrusts pop princess back into the spotlight

Britney Spears faces a new battle with the law nearly five years after being released from a controversial, decade-long conservatorship.

Spears, 44, was arrested Wednesday, March 4, and booked for allegedly driving under the influence near her affluent Southern California home. She was released around 6:07 a.m. on Thursday, according to records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The “Womanizer” singer was spotted driving erratically at a high rate of speed while traveling southbound on U.S.-101, Fox News Digital has learned. The California Highway Patrol was able to safely pull her over before conducting a series of field sobriety tests.

Dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital indicated that the California Highway Patrol followed Spears for a while on the freeway and other roads in the greater Los Angeles area before pulling her over.

Spears showed signs of impairment and chemical test results are still pending.

Despite earning the Princess of Pop crown, the “Gimme More” musician has faced intense public scrutiny through the years, leading to a handful of legal issues.

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” a Spears rep told Fox News Digital following her arrest. Records indicate Spears is expected to appear in court on May 4.

“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. 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.”

LISTEN: Audio of the 911 dispatch officers involved in Britney Spears’ arrest

Spears broke onto the scene in the ’90s as a Disney Channel star with a role on “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” TV show. Soon after, she signed with Jive Records and released what would become one of the best-selling singles in history with the title track to her debut album, “…Baby One More Time.”

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As the performer began to rise through the ranks to become one of the most coveted stars in the industry, her personal struggles soon became public fodder.

Her relationship with fellow teen idol and Disney alum Justin Timberlake reportedly began in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2001 when Spears confirmed their romance. The following year, however, Justin and Britney ended things amid affair speculation.

She later confirmed their split was due to her affair with back-up dancer Wade Robson, which she claimed in her tell-all 2024 memoir, “The Woman in Me,” only happened after Timberlake allegedly cheated.

Spears discussed her reaction to “Cry Me a River,” Timberlake’s breakout solo song after he left boy band NSYNC. In the video, she described “a woman who looks like me cheats on him, and he wanders around sad in the rain.”

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While many of his fans believed that she’d broken his heart, Britney wrote that she was “comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood.”

In 2004, Spears married her childhood friend, Jason Alexander, on a whim in the early morning hours during a ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were both 22 years old at the time.

Their marriage was annulled 55 hours later, which Alexander later claimed was forced by Britney’s mother, Lynne, and Britney’s management.

The annulment stated that the pop star “lacked understanding of her actions, to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage.”

Months later, and on the heels of canceling the “Onyx Hotel Tour” in support of her fourth studio album, “In The Zone,” Spears revealed her engagement to back-up dancer Kevin Federline.

At the time of their July 2004 engagement, Federline’s ex, actress Shar Jackson, was pregnant with their second child. By October, Spears and Federline were married. The following year, in September 2005, Britney gave birth to their first son, Sean Preston.

In photos published in February 2006, Britney was shown driving with her son on her lap instead of in a car seat. She claimed that the situation happened after a frightening encounter with paparazzi, and that it was a mistake on her part.

She gave birth to her second son, Jayden James, in September 2006, and two months later, filed for divorce from Federline after two years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in 2007.

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Her mental health began to suffer, and following two involuntary psychiatric holds and losing custody of her sons in 2008, Jamie Spears was granted a temporary conservatorship over his daughter. At the end of the year, the court order became permanent, and Jamie was appointed conservator with attorney Andrew Wallet named as co-conservator.

Spears essentially lost control of her life before the conservatorship was in place, only to rebound with an incredible career comeback where she released four albums, grossed over $100 million on her four-year “Piece of Me” Las Vegas residency and subsequent tour, and “X Factor” hosting gig.

She abruptly stepped away from the stage in 2019 due to her father’s health, and checked into a mental health facility due to stress. Her absence and alleged issues with her court order also sparked the #FreeBritney movement.

On June 23, 2021, Britney finally addressed the courts in bombshell testimony and said she had been “traumatized” by her father and his restrictions. She claimed Jamie forced her to take lithium and sent her to a mental health facility against her will. The “Toxic” singer previously claimed Jamie made her perform against her will.

“It’s a strong drug. You can go mentally impaired if you stay on it longer than five months,” she said. “I felt drunk, I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad about anything.”

While addressing the court, Spears said, “I just want my life back. All I want is to own my money and for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his car. I want to sue my family.”

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The court order successfully ended on Nov. 12, 2021, but an outstanding dispute over Jamie’s request for Spears to pay his legal fees ended in 2024. Details surrounding the case were not made public.

That same year, Britney became engaged to actor Sam Asghari after dating for five years. They first met in October 2016 when he starred in her “Slumber Party” video, and months later, made their relationship Instagram-official in January 2017.

The couple married at her home in June 2022 with Madonna, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow among the celebrity guest list. Two years later, Sam and Britney ended their marriage.

The night their divorce was finalized in May 2024, authorities responded to a request to aid an injured adult female at the Chateau Marmont Hotel just after midnight. Exact details surrounding the incident are unclear, but reports surfaced that Spears was allegedly involved in a fight at the ritzy digs with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Paul Soliz.

A source told Fox News Digital at the time that Spears “left on her own with security and is now home and safe.”

Britney took to social media the following day and explained on her now-defunct Instagram account how she twisted her ankle “and paramedics showed up at my door illegally. They never came in my room but I felt completely harassed. I’m moving to Boston!!! Peace.”

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Earlier this year, the “Lucky” singer parted ways with the rights to her songs in a $200 million deal with music publisher Primary Wave, a source revealed to NBC. 

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.

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