Britney Spears was spotted performing a risky stunt on one of Los Angeles’ busiest freeways just months after resolving her DUI case.
The Toxic singer, 44, was photographed standing through the sunroof of a black Mercedes SUV as it travelled along the 101 Freeway near Studio City on Thursday, leaving motorists doing double takes.
At one point, Spears stretched both arms across the roof of the moving vehicle and threw her head back into the wind, striking a pose that looked more suited to one of her music videos than bumper-to-bumper California traffic.
Witnesses estimated the singer remained standing through the sunroof for around two minutes while the SUV continued along the motorway before eventually pulling off at a nearby petrol station.
There, Spears appeared relaxed as she laughed and chatted with the man driving the vehicle, who has recently been linked to the singer amid speculation he could be her new boyfriend.
According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, however, the moment was apparently far less dramatic than it appeared.
‘Britney just went through the sunroof for a quick moment,’ the insider claimed.
‘She wanted to see what the traffic was about up ahead because the cars came to a stop. She wanted to see how long they would be delayed.
‘She used to do this all the time as a kid growing up in the South. She loves having the warm wind blow through her hair in the summer. She’s having a fun summer and is in a good place.
‘If it’s illegal to put your head through a sunroof, she doesn’t know it. She didn’t mean to do anything bad.’
Whether innocent curiosity or not, the stunt is likely to raise eyebrows given Spears’ recent legal troubles behind the wheel.
Earlier this year, the pop superstar resolved a drink-driving case after pleading no contest to a reduced reckless driving offence, often referred to in California as a ‘wet reckless’, following her March arrest.
The plea meant Spears avoided jail, but she was sentenced to 12 months’ probation, fined and ordered to complete a DUI education programme. As part of the agreement, she must not drive with alcohol or drugs in her system and can be required to submit to roadside testing if requested by police.
The freeway incident comes after another eventful few months for the singer.
Only days after her court case concluded, Spears made headlines during a night out in Sherman Oaks after CCTV captured her stopping at a liquor store before heading to a nearby restaurant.
Witnesses alleged she barked inside the venue, smoked near the entrance, and was carrying a knife around the restaurant. Staff later clarified the knife had simply been provided alongside the burger she had ordered, while Spears’ representative accused critics of blowing the evening ‘completely out of proportion’.
Her representative said she had simply been dining with her assistant and bodyguard.
The singer has also continued to attract attention online through a stream of dance videos and candid posts to Instagram.
For Spears, whose life has unfolded in public for more than two decades, Thursday’s sunroof moment is unlikely to be remembered as her most dramatic headline.