Britney Spears under investigation after alleged dispute with an employee
Britney Spears is under investigation after an employee working at her home accused the pop star of striking her during a dispute earlier this week, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. An attorney for Spears has denied the allegation.
The employee filed the report Monday around 10 a.m. local time but did not disclose what kicked off the alleged dispute, a sheriff's spokesperson told CBS News. The employee was not injured, they said, and no arrests have been made.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office is investigating the alleged incident and will forward its findings to the county's district attorney to determine if misdemeanor battery charges are necessary.
Mathew Rosengart, the pop star's attorney, denied the allegation on Thursday. "This is overblown sensational tabloid fodder -- nothing more than a manufactured 'he said she said' regarding a cell phone, with no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever. Anyone can make an accusation but this should have been closed immediately," he said in a statement to CBS News.
"To its credit, the sheriff's office itself has acknowledged that the incident was classified as a 'very minor misdemeanor ...' and confirmed 'there were no injuries.' If this did not involve Britney Spears it never would have been reported at all."
Spears, 39, has been battling in court to regain control of her life and fortune, seeking to end a court-appointed conservatorship that started back in 2008.