Britney Spears dismissed staff weeks before DUI arrest

Britney Spears fired her sobriety coaches and security guards in the weeks before her DUI arrest, shortly after returning from a trip to Mexico and following the sale of her music catalog in February for nine figures. Authorities said she appeared to be under the influence of a cocktail of drugs and alcohol when taken into custody, and officers allegedly found an unknown substance in her car.

She performed field sobriety tests and was taken to a hospital to have her blood alcohol content determined; Spears has said her BAC was .06, below California’s .08 limit, though drivers can still be charged if they are driving erratically. Dispatch recordings indicated she had been swerving in and out of lanes before being pulled over.

She was described as "incredibly emotional" during the arrest, was taken into custody Wednesday night and released the following morning; she is scheduled to appear in court on May 4.

United States, California

britney spears, dui arrest, sobriety coaches, security guards, mexico trip, music catalog, nine figures, blood alcohol, field sobriety, may 4