Britney Spears enters rehab after arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence

LOS ANGELES – Britney Spears voluntarily checked into rehab on April 12 following her recent arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, her representative confirmed to Reuters on April 13.

The California Highway Patrol said in early March the American pop singer was arrested in Ventura County after officers stopped her black BMW, following a report that it had been travelling erratically at high speed.

The highway patrol said in a statement that Spears, the sole occupant of the vehicle, “showed signs of impairment” due to what officers suspected was the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs. It added she underwent a series of field sobriety tests.

Spears, 44, was booked into the Ventura County Main Jail and is due for a court appearance on May 4.

The singer became one of the biggest pop stars in the world in the late 1990s while still a teenager. She has struggled for years with intense media speculation about her personal life, use of drink and drugs, and questions over her mental state.

In 2007, she was charged with one count of a hit-and-run causing property damage and one count of driving without a valid licence, both misdemeanours. The first charge was later dropped and the other dismissed.

After she had a public breakdown that year, she was hospitalised for undisclosed mental health issues. Her father was granted a conservatorship.

Spears regained control of her personal life and her money in 2021 when a judge ended the conservatorship that had governed her personal life and US$60 million (S$76 million) estate since 2008. The conservatorship also became a cause celebre for fans which led to a Free Britney movement. REUTERS