Britney Spears will not be charged over alleged battery of housekeeper

Britney Spears will not be charged over allegations of misdemeanour battery from her former housekeeper, made last month.

In August, reports surfaced stating that one of Spears' employees telephoned the Ventura County Sheriff's Department to accuse the singer of striking them. Afterward, Spears was named a suspect in an investigation.

The argument was, allegedly, over the veterinary care of Spears' dog. On September 1, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko stated that the 'Baby One More Time' singer would not face charges.

“During the argument, Spears was alleged to have slapped a phone out of the housekeeper’s hand,” the DA's office said in a statement. “The housekeeper indicated that the screen protector to the phone was damaged. The housekeeper had no visible injuries.”

Charges were not filed “based upon insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred and the lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone”.

Spears' lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, called the claims "sensational tabloid fodder" when they first surfaced, and doubled down on that sentiment in his statement after the charges were dropped. “If this involved Jane Doe rather than Britney Spears it would not have been pursued or covered at all,” he said.

“Anyone can make an accusation but this should never have made it this far and we are glad the DA’s Office has done the right thing. Sadly, it is apparent that some have learned nothing from the past, and we sincerely hope the media and others will be more respectful of Ms. Spears in the future.”

Rosengart has also called for the immediate removal of Britney’s father Jamie from her conservatorship, alleging in another petition that Jamie is "bartering” his exit from the arrangement – in exchange for $2 million in payments.

“Regardless of the past, Mr. Spears and his counsel are now on notice: the status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted,” the petition says.

Mr. Spears, effectively said in court documents in August that he intends to step down as Britney’s co-conservator "when the time is right". He has yet to respond to the claims in Rosengart's petition.

The next court hearing in the legal battle over Britney’s conservatorship is scheduled for September 29.