American pop star Britney Spears admits to reckless driving

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Troubled pop princess Britney Spears on Monday admitted to reckless driving involving alcohol, in a plea deal that means she will avoid jail.

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The “Toxic” singer was arrested in March after police spotted her driving erratically on a freeway in Ventura County, near Los Angeles.

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She was initially charged with DUI — driving under the influence — but under the plea deal confirmed Monday she admitted a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol, drugs or both.

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A court in Ventura sentenced the 44-year-old to 12 months’ probation, her lawyer Michael Goldstein said.

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“She’s going to do well, and we all root for Britney,” Goldstein told reporters, including AFP, outside the court.

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“I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances and to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result.

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“We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps that Britney has taken to help herself.”

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As part of the plea deal, Spears must complete a substance abuse program and meet with mental health professionals.

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Prosecutors have given no details on the drug allegedly in her system at the time of arrest and her lawyer declined to comment.

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Judge Matthew Nemerson ordered that Spears must have a valid prescription for any drugs in her possession.

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The singer’s representatives told US media after her arrest that she had voluntarily checked in to a rehab facility.

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Monday’s hearing is the latest step on a rocky road for a woman who once dominated pop.

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Spears had phenomenal early music success in the late 1990s with hits like “…Baby One More Time” but has largely stepped back from music in recent years.

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Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.

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The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to “Free Britney.”

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In her 2023 memoir “The Woman in Me,” Spears insisted she never did hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but she admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication.

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AFP

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