Britney Spears has been arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The pop star was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol at around 21:30 PT (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday. Authorities later released her in the early hours of Thursday morning. She is expected to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on 4 May.

Officials from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in Southern California confirmed the news.

A representative for Spears described the incident as regrettable and said the singer intends to take responsibility and cooperate with the legal process.

They added that Spears plans to comply with the law and hopes the situation can mark the beginning of positive changes in her life.

“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 statement said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”

The representative also noted that Spears will be spending time with her sons while her family and close supporters work on a plan aimed at supporting her well-being.

News of the arrest coincided with the apparent deletion of Spears’ Instagram account on Thursday.

Spears remains one of the most successful figures in modern pop music. Her career includes major hits such as …Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger.

In January 2024, Spears said she would “never return to the music industry.” Her most recent release was a 2022 collaboration with Elton John.

However, in a social media post earlier this year that was later deleted, Spears hinted that while she did not plan to perform again in the United States, she hoped to return to live shows in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Spears’ life has been closely followed by the public, particularly after her 13-year conservatorship ended in 2021. The legal arrangement had placed control of her finances and many personal decisions under the authority of her father.

In 2023, the singer published her memoir, The Woman in Me, where she reflected on her rise to fame and described the challenges she faced while living under the conservatorship.

Her former husband, Kevin Federline, also released a memoir titled You Thought You Knew at the end of 2025, offering his own perspective on their relationship and the events surrounding Spears’ life in the public spotlight.

Alan Cumming has issued a public apology following controversy at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards, describing the ceremony as a “trauma-triggering” debacle after an incident involving an involuntary racial slur during the broadcast.

The backlash arose after a Tourette’s campaigner shouted a racial slur while two Black actors were on stage. The remark was audible.

In a post on Instagram, Cumming apologised for the harm caused. “I’m so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt hearing the word echoed around the world,” he wrote. He also expressed regret that the Tourette’s community had been reminded of what he described as widespread misunderstanding and intolerance surrounding the condition.

Cumming added that the situation reflected failures in decision-making, citing the broadcasting of a slur and the censorship of free speech. He said the only positive outcome might be a renewed awareness that “words matter” and that trauma should be recognised and respected.

American actor Robert Carradine, widely recognised for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds and the Disney series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71.

In a statement, his family shared that Carradine had lived with bipolar disorder for nearly two decades and chose to speak openly about his cause of death to help challenge stigma surrounding mental health.

Tributes quickly followed from colleagues and admirers, including his former on-screen daughter Hilary Duff, who reflected on their shared experiences and the impact he had on those around him.

Born on 24 March 1954, Carradine came from a distinguished acting family. He was the son of John Carradine and the younger brother of David Carradine.

Encouraged early on by his brother, Carradine landed his first screen role in The Cowboys, starring alongside John Wayne.

He went on to build a varied and respected career, including an appearance in Mean Streets directed by Martin Scorsese, and later in Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino.

Across decades in the industry, Carradine remained a familiar presence on both the big and small screen, contributing to projects that resonated with audiences worldwide.

His family expressed hope that sharing his story would inspire understanding and encourage open conversations about mental health, reinforcing the importance of compassion and awareness.