Officials were called to the southern California home of Britney Spears on Wednesday to conduct a wellness check after the singer posted a video on social media depicting her dancing with knives.
Someone close to Spears called authorities “genuinely concerned about her wellbeing,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dean Worthy told CNN.
“Some would argue this is her expressing her creative freedom, and some might argue this is dangerous and there’s a safety issue or mental health concern,” said Worthy, but authorities opted to check on the singer’s well-being due to the initial call from someone close to Spears.
CNN has reached out to a representative for Spears for comment.
The initial call from the Spears associate, whom authorities are not naming, was to the Los Angeles Police Department mental health assessment team, which then referred the call to the sheriff’s office, said Worthy.
The sheriff’s office dispatched a sergeant who “has had multiple prior contacts with Ms. Spears over the course of many years” and who had rapport with the singer, to the star’s home in Thousand Oaks, California, to check on her wellbeing, said Worthy.
The sergeant arrived at the Spears home, Worthy said, and was contacted over an entrance intercom by a member of Spears’ security team. The sergeant “explained he was there based on information [Spears] may be experiencing a potential mental health crisis or in danger of self-harm,” said Worthy.
The singer’s head of security told the sergeant he was with Spears, there was no threat to her safety, and the singer did not want deputies to enter the property. Worthy said Spears’ attorney also called the sergeant, “explained he had just spoken with the singer,” and “assured him there were no issues with Ms. Spears mentally, physically, or otherwise.”
On Monday, Spears shared video of herself dancing with what appears to be two metal kitchen knives on Instagram. She later updated the post with the caption: “I started playing in the kitchen with knives today,” later adding, “Don’t worry they are NOT real knives !!! Halloween is soon!”
After receiving assurances from two independent parties that Spears was not in danger, Worthy said the sergeant departed the residence.
In January, Spears was the subject of another wellness check, when she said “prank phone calls” prompted police to visit her home.
The singer posted a note to Twitter at the time in which she addressed the police visit and said, “I love and adore my fans but this time things went a little too far and my privacy was invaded.”
Spears went on to specify that the police “never entered” her home and that once they arrived, “they quickly realized there was no issue and left immediately.”
The singer lamented that the incident left her feeling “gaslit and bullied” and that she was “being portrayed once again in a poor an unfair light by the media.”
“During this time in my life, I truly hope the public and my fans who I care so much about can respect my privacy moving forward,” she wrote.
In an emailed statement to CNN in January, Sgt. Jason Karol from the Ventura County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the department had “received some calls from concerned fans” after Spears deleted her Instagram account.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
