Pop singer Britney Spears, 44, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug. The charge follows an arrest in March after the California Highway Patrol observed her driving a black BMW fast and erratically on U.S. 101 near her home.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Thursday. Spears will be offered the opportunity to plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs at a court hearing on Monday. This plea deal, which is a common resolution for individuals willing to undergo treatment, typically carries a sentence of 12 months on probation and could allow her to avoid jail time. Spears is not required to attend the hearing, as her lawyers can appear on her behalf.
Since the incident, which her representatives called completely inexcusable, Spears has voluntarily checked herself into a rehabilitation facility for substance abuse treatment.
The singer was previously under a 13-year conservatorship that controlled her personal and financial decisions until a judge released her in 2021. While fans launched a Free Britney movement arguing against the supervision, her family claimed the arrangement was necessary to protect her and her $60 million estate due to mental illness. In 2007, Spears was hospitalized for undisclosed mental health issues and faced misdemeanor charges for driving without a valid California driver's license and a hit-and-run causing property damage.