Britney Spears pleads guilty to lesser 'wet reckless' charge in DUI case, avoids further jail time

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Britney Spears pleaded guilty through her lawyer Monday to a lesser charge that will allow her to avoid jail time after California prosecutors accused her of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

The 44-year-old pop star, who recently completed a stint at a rehabilitation facility, didn’t appear in Ventura County court. But her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, pleaded guilty on her behalf to what’s commonly called a “wet reckless.” That allowed her to be sentenced to one day in jail that the judge said she served when she was booked, one year of probation, a required DUI class and state-mandated fines.

The plea offer was standard for defendants with no DUI history, no crash or injury on the road, and a low blood-alcohol level, the county district attorney’s office said. And it’s especially common for defendants who have shown motivation to address their problems and seek treatment, as Spears did when she voluntarily checked in to a substance abuse treatment center last month.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances, to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result,” Goldstein said after the hearing. “We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps that Britney is taking to help herself.”

Goldstein said Spears returned home after recently completing her rehab stint, and that reports that she left early were “absolutely false.” Asked what’s next for her, he replied, “I don’t know, I’m sure a lot.”

During the brief hearing, Spears received summary probation, which is informal and doesn’t involve mandatory meetings with a probation officer. She temporarily yielded her Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights if she is pulled over, meaning she must automatically yield to searches and sobriety tests. At Goldstein's request, the judge ruled this would not apply to her home.

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said after the hearing that Spears had taken “full responsibility,” but he emphasized that DUI is a “serious crime” and said it was essential that she follow the requirements agreed to in court, which include continued substance abuse treatment, weekly visits with a therapist and monthly visits with a psychiatrist.

“We do not want Miss Spears to reoffend,” Nasarenko said.

She was charged Thursday with one misdemeanor DUI count, which meant she was not required to appear in court for her arraignment. But her representatives hadn’t said whether she would appear, and the hearing drew an unusually heavy media turnout for Ventura, a seaside city of about 110,000 people roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of downtown LA.

After her March 4 arrest, a representative called her actions inexcusable and said that ideally, the arrest would lead to overdue change in her life.

She was pulled over for driving her black BMW quickly and erratically on U.S. 101, the California Highway Patrol said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, was arrested and was taken to jail, the CHP said.

Authorities said in the criminal complaint that Spears had alcohol and drugs in her system, but they didn’t specify which drugs or list her blood alcohol content.

Spears grew to superstardom in the 1990s and 2000s with hits including “Toxic,” “Gimme More” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Most of her nine studio albums have been certified platinum, with two diamond titles: 1999’s “… Baby One More Time” and 2000s “Oops! … I Did It Again.”

She became a tabloid obsession in the early 2000s and a source of intense public scrutiny as she battled mental illness and paparazzi fought to document the details of her private life.

In 2008, Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, run primarily by her father and his lawyers, that would control her personal and financial decisions for well over a decade. It was dissolved in 2021.

Since then, she has married, divorced, and released a bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko speaks following the arraignment of singer Britney Spears on DUI charges at the Ventura County Superior Court, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Ventura, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Ventura County prosecutor Andrew Sullivant, right, speaks during the arraignment of singer Britney Spears in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Judge Matthew Nemerson speaks during the arraignment of singer Britney Spears in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Michael Goldstein, left, attorney for Britney Spears, speaks during her arraignment in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Michael Goldstein, center, attorney for Britney Spears, speaks during the arraignment of her DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Ventura County prosecutor Andrew Sullivant, right, speaks during the arraignment of singer Britney Spears in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Judge Matthew Nemerson speaks during the arraignment of singer Britney Spears in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Michael Goldstein, left, attorney for Britney Spears, speaks during her arraignment in a DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

Michael Goldstein, center, attorney for Britney Spears, speaks during the arraignment of her DUI case at the Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, Calif., on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — A fire broke out Monday in the Broadway theater that hosts “The Book of Mormon,” forcing the long-running musical to close, at least temporarily, as the historic venue undergoes repairs.

The blaze, which began in an electrical room, caused “substantial damage” to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, according to New York Fire Department Assistant Chief David Simms. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“Everyone has been safely removed from the theater,” the theater’s owner, ATG Entertainment, said in a statement. “We will keep all parties abreast of this developing situation.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how long the 1,108-seat theater would be out of operation. A spokesperson for “The Book of Mormon” did not immediately respond to messages. The show’s next scheduled performance is Tuesday.

Simms said the damage was largely confined to the fourth floor area and a backroom containing lighting equipment and dangling chandeliers. There was some water damage as well, he said.

Firefighters initially struggled to knock down the flames due to catwalks and rigging in the theater, but were eventually able to bring it under control, he said. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.

“The Book of Mormon” is among Broadway’s longest running shows, with more than 5,000 performances since opening at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in 2011.

The theater, which opened in 1925, has previously hosted productions of “Sweeney Todd,” a revival of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and the rock musical “Spring Awakening,” among many other performances.

Firetrucks are parked outside of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York on Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David Martin)

Firetrucks are parked outside of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York on Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David Martin)

Firetrucks are parked outside of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York on Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David Martin)

FILE - The Eugene O'Neill theater sits with its marquis lights turned off during the "Broadway for Earth" hour in New York, March 27, 2010. (AP Photo/David Goldman, file)

FILE - In this March 16, 2011 photo, Trey Parker, right, and Matt Stone, co-creators of the Broadway show "The Book of Mormon," pose for a portrait outside the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, file)