Britney Spears’ first husband Jason Alexander has come to her defence following her DUI arrest.
The Toxic hitmaker was arrested for driving under the influence near her home in Ventura County, California on Wednesday night and taken into custody. She was booked and released on Thursday morning.
Alexander, who was married to Spears for 55 hours in January 2004, came to her defence on Instagram and implored the press to “slow down” with their coverage and “let the facts come out” before turning her life into a “media circus”.
“If reports are accurate that she blew a .06 (blood alcohol level), that’s below the legal limit in most states. And if the only substances in her system were legally prescribed medications, that changes the narrative completely,” the 44-year-old wrote.
“But the internet has already jumped straight to ‘drunk driving’, ‘rehab’ and all kinds of speculation that hasn’t been proven.”
Alexander, a childhood friend of Spears, warned that the coverage could “spiral out of control” before the facts become clear.
“Rumors spread faster than facts, and suddenly someone is being judged before the truth is even clear,” he continued. “Britney Spears deserves the same thing anyone else does: facts, fairness, and due process – not headlines built on speculation.”
According to 911 dispatch audio obtained by Us Weekly, the singer’s BMW was allegedly “speeding”, driving “in and out of lanes” and erratically “braking, swerving and driving with no taillight”.
According to TMZ, the pop superstar was taken to the hospital immediately after her DUI arrest so the authorities could obtain a blood sample and test for her blood alcohol content. The 44-year-old allegedly told people she was a .06, below the California limit of .08, however, this has yet to be confirmed.
Spears is due in court on Monday 4 May.
Meanwhile, her friend and former personal assistant appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday and insisted the DUI arrest was “out of character”. Sean Phillips revealed that he texted her after the incident and she assured him she was OK.
In a statement after the arrest, Spears’ team said, “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. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
