Concerned fans called the police after pop singer Britney Spears deleted her Instagram account, prompting law enforcement to perform a wellness check at her California home late Tuesday night.
The 41-year-old celebrity had her 13-year-long conservatorship lifted in November 2021 amid the popularity of the #FreeBritney movement. Ever since then, Spears has engaged in erratic behavior, including posting long, incoherent rants on social media and behaving strangely in public.
She has deleted and reinstated her Instagram account multiple times in the past. But enough fans contacted the police on this occasion, pushing the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office to dispatch units to Spears’ home just to check.
A police spokesperson later confirmed to Page Six, “I can confirm that we did get calls into our dispatch, and essentially, I can confirm that we don’t believe that Britney Spears is in any kind of harm or any kind of danger.”
Sources told TMZ that the “Slave 4 U” singer was “annoyed” when the police showed up at her house but said she understood why fans were concerned.
The incident occurred just days after Spears announced she was changing her name to River Red on Instagram. Just prior to that, she was spotted having dinner with her husband and was accused of behaving strangely at the restaurant.
Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Spears and Sam Asghari were dining at JOEY restaurant in Woodland Hills when the singer became “manic” and started yelling gibberish, after which Asghari appeared angry and left the establishment. Later, Asghari defended his actions, saying he had just run out to the car and wasn’t mad.
Spears offered fans an update on the restaurant incident, commenting that she was “looking like [the Dreamworks animated ogre] Shrek” in videos recorded by other patrons and that media outlets were “all hyped about me being a little drunk” there, and that they’re “watching my every move.”
The “…Baby One More Time” singer addressed fans and supporters on social media, saying she appreciated their concern for her well-being.
“I know y’all are rooting for me and all and make sure you check out the shocking Shrek picture of me … I was like damn that’s horrific yet there were two pics where I was normal … either way honestly I know nobody gives a flying f*** what I do,” she shared at the time.