Britney Spears arrested on suspicion of DUI in California; rep says pop star "is going to take the right steps"

Pop star Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Wednesday night in Southern California, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.

According to Ventura County inmate records, Spears, 44, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at 9:28 p.m. on Wednesday and released at 6:07 a.m. on Thursday. 

In a statement to CBS News, a representative for Spears referred to the incident as "unfortunate" and "completely inexcusable." 

"Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney's life," the representative said. "Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time."

In a January post to her Instagram account, which was deactivated following her arrest, Spears said she would "never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons." 

Spears last took to the stage in 2018 for her "Piece of Me" tour, which came a decade into the singer's court-appointed conservatorship that spawned the #FreeBritney movement. A Los Angeles judge ended the conservatorship in 2021 following a legal battle launched by the pop star. 

Since then, Spears has largely used Instagram to communicate with fans, frequently posting solo videos of herself dancing. Spears' memoir, "The Woman in Me," was published in 2023.

A former star of "The Mickey Mouse Club," Spears' 1999 debut album, "...Baby One More Time," and 2000 follow-up, "Oops!... I Did It Again," were diamond certified by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling more than 10 million records each. 

Spears is scheduled to appear in court on May 4.

This is a developing story.