Police authorities were called to Britney Spears' home in Southern California on Wednesday for a wellness check after the singer posted a video of herself dancing with knives on social media.
Speaking with CNN, Ventura County Sheriff's Office Captain Dean Worthy explained that an unidentified person with a close relationship to Spears called authorities "genuinely concerned about her wellbeing."
"Some would argue this is her expressing her creative freedom, and some might argue this is dangerous and there's a safety issue or mental health concern," said Worthy.
After receiving the call, authorities chose to check in on the singer.
CNN noted that it was the Los Angeles Police Department mental health assessment team that initially received the call, and referred the concerned person to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office dispatched a sergeant who had interacted with Spears on numerous occasions over many years and had rapport with her.
The sergeant went to Spears' home in Thousand Oaks, California, and spoke to a member of her security team through an intercom, explaining that he was there because there were concerns about her mental health and the possibility of self-harm, Worthy noted.
Spears' security head confirmed to the sergeant that he was with her, she was safe, and she did not want deputies to enter the property, according to Worthy. Spears' lawyer also spoke to the sergeant, saying he had just talked to the singer and assured him that she was fine mentally and physically.
Upon receiving assurances from two independent parties, Worthy said the sergeant left the residence.
On Monday, Spears shared a video of herself dancing with what appeared to be two kitchen knives on Instagram.
"I started playing in the kitchen with knives today," she captioned the post, later adding, "Don't worry they are NOT real knives !!! Halloween is soon!"
In a follow-up video posted on Instagram, Spears is seen sporting a white bandage on her arm. There is also a visible cut on her thigh, which can be seen while she dances in a polka-dot crop top and white bikini bottoms.
It's not clear if the cuts were sustained during the knife dance.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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