Britney Spears caught with unknown substance in car before DUI arrest

Britney Spears was caught with an unknown substance inside her vehicle before her shocking DUI arrest.

A source close to the embattled pop star confirmed to Page Six that the unknown substance was found inside Spears’ BMW shortly before she was taken into custody on Wednesday night.

It is currently unclear what the mystery substance was, however, and it has since been sent to a lab for testing.

TMZ was the first to report the news.

Spears, 44, was arrested for driving under the influence after she was spotted swerving her BMW in and out of traffic in Westlake Village, Calif., on Wednesday night.

Page Six confirmed that the “Toxic” singer was handcuffed by the California Highway Patrol in Ventura County around 9:28 p.m. local time and booked at 3:02 a.m.

She was also reportedly taken to the hospital to get blood drawn so officials could determine her blood alcohol content level, before being released from police custody at 6:07 a.m. on Thursday.

A court date is scheduled for May 4.

Spears was said to be “crying and very tearful” while being booked for her DUI arrest.

“She was incredibly emotional,” a source exclusively shared with Page Six. “It’s been a very hard couple of months.”

The insider added that Spears felt “ashamed and embarrassed” and is “very sorry” for the incident.

“She doesn’t want to let anyone down, including her fans,” the source said. “The last thing she wants is to be judged publicly all over again.”

Cade Hudson, the “Oops!… I Did It Again” hitmaker’s manager, called Spears’ DUI arrest an “unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable” in a statement to Page Six.

“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” he said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”

Hudson added that Spears’ sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, are “going to be spending time” with the Grammy winner after her arrest and that Spears’ “loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well-being.”

Another insider claimed that Kevin Federline’s October 2025 memoir, “You Thought You Knew,” is to blame for the “downhill” spiral that led to the “Womanizer” singer’s DUI arrest.

“But the truth is, this has been going on for a while,” a source close to the pop star told Page Six Thursday. “Her behavior has become increasingly erratic in recent months. She goes from being fine to being not.”

They continued, “It was the Kevin book that really sent her over the edge, and it’s been downhill from there. It really impacted her emotionally.”

The source added that Spears “feels like she gave Kevin everything that he wanted over the years” and “paid him so much money” – but he still “exploited her” with his memoir.

“He used her; he wanted to ruin her,” they said. “And that was a really hard pill to swallow; it absolutely killed her that someone would want to damage her so much.”

Spears was said to be enjoying some alone time in the hours leading up to her DUI arrest.

“She was alone. She had been at her house and just wanted to go for a drive,” another source said of the “Stronger” singer.

They also claimed that Spears told officers she had “just one single mimosa in the afternoon.”

“It was a mistake,” the insider explained to Page Six. “She didn’t think she was under the influence of anything.”