Britney Spears emerged with bruises on her legs on Thursday, following a tumultuous night that reportedly involved her barking and carrying a knife during a chaotic restaurant visit. The 44-year-old pop singer was photographed leaving the Paw Works pet store in Thousand Oaks just hours after Wednesday's incident, which occurred days after she exited rehab and pleaded guilty to a DUI charge.
Details of the Incident
Spears was seen wearing a rumpled beige trench coat that revealed her legs, one of which displayed deep purple bruises. She kept comfortable in red and white open-toe sandals and shielded her eyes with large black sunglasses. Her platinum blonde hair was down, and she carried a cellphone as she returned to her car. Once seated in the passenger side of her SUV, she propped her feet on the dashboard while her driver took the wheel.
The singer's chaotic week reached a new low on Wednesday night when surveillance footage captured her stocking up at a liquor store before heading to a dive bar. The CCTV footage, obtained by the Daily Mail, showed Spears entering Wines of the World in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, with two companions. Dressed in a plunging top, black mini skirt, and boots, she followed a male security guard down the liquor aisle, pausing playfully as he grabbed a large can of Twisted Tea.
The Bar Scene
The group then moved across the street to the Blue Dog Tavern, a dive bar where witnesses reported Spears caused a disturbance by barking and carrying a knife. According to TMZ, she ordered a hamburger, which comes with a steak knife, and was seen feeding her male companion, telling him, 'I love you.' Restaurant staff had to intervene when she lit a cigarette near the entrance.
Spears' representative dismissed the reports, stating to the Daily Mail: 'This is completely blown out of proportion. Britney was enjoying a quiet dinner with her assistant and bodyguard. She was simply telling the story about how her dog was barking at the neighbors. At no point did she put anyone in danger with a knife. She was cutting her hamburger in half.'
Legal and Personal Background
This incident comes shortly after Spears pleaded guilty to a DUI last week, following her arrest two months ago. She had left a substance abuse rehab facility just days before entering the plea, after a three-week stay. The singer has a history of knife-related incidents; in 2023, police visited her home after she brandished knives in a social media video, though no charges were filed.
Spears missed a family gathering on Saturday, where her niece Maddie celebrated her high school graduation. Exclusive photos showed other Spears family members, including her son Preston, sister Jamie Lynn, mother Lynne, and father Jamie, in attendance. Family sources reported that Spears' mother called her after the DUI arrest, and she spoke with her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden, who now live in Hawaii with their father, Kevin Federline.
Spears has had a strained relationship with her family since the end of her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021. Her public struggles date back nearly two decades, including a well-known breakdown in 2007 when she shaved her head and attacked a paparazzo's car with an umbrella. She was placed under a conservatorship in 2008, which ended in 2021.
