Britney Spears has spoken out after concerned fans called police to conduct a wellness check at her house earlier this week.
Taking to social media, the 41-year-old singer pleaded with members of the public and media to respect her privacy.
"I love and adore my fans but this time things went a little too far and my privacy was invaded," Spears wrote in a statement on Twitter, saying police responded to "some prank phone calls."
Fans grew concerned when Spears' Instagram account went dark shortly after the singer said in a now-deleted post, "I changed my name to River Red," according to TMZ. Some interpreted the message as a code word for help.
Prompted by calls from fans requesting a wellness check, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office visited Spears' home in Thousand Oaks, California, on Tuesday, the outlet reported.
"The police never entered my home and when they came to my gate they quickly realized there was no issue and left immediately," Spears wrote in her statement. "This felt like I was being gaslit and bullied once the incident made it to the news and being portrayed once again in a poor and unfair light by the media."
Concluding her post, Spears added: "During this time in my life, I truly hope the public and my fans who I care so much about can respect my privacy moving forward."
The ordeal comes several days after TMZ published a report stating that the pop star "caused a scene" while having dinner with husband Sam Asghari at Joey in Woodland Hills, California, earlier this month.
Witnesses told TMZ that Spears became "manic" and started yelling and talking gibberish when patrons took out their cellphones to take photos and video of her.
Taking to Instagram, Spears criticized the media for its portrayal of events.
"I know the news is all hyped about me being a little drunk at a restaurant … it's like they'll be WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE!!!" she wrote in a now-deleted post cited by Vanity Fair. "I'm so flattered they talk about me like a maniac THEN have the balls to talk about all the negative things that happened in my past !!!"
Asghari also spoke out about the media reports, writing on Instagram: "Don't believe what you read online people."
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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