Britney Spears under investigation for alleged assault on housekeeper

Britney Spears is being investigated following an alleged battery at her Los Angeles home, according to US authorities. 

Police officers were called to the popstar's mansion in Thousand Oaks on Monday night following a report by a staff member that Spears had struck her. The employee, who remains unnamed, alleged that the Grammy-award-winner slapped her cell phone out of her hands during the dispute. No injuries were reported. 

The Ventura Country Sheriff's Office has now said it will send the police reports to prosecutors, who will consider the findings for misdemeanor battery charges.

Spears's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, called the investigation "overblown sensational tabloid fodder", before referring to the altercation as "nothing more than a manufactured ‘he said she said’ regarding a cellphone, with no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever”. 

"Anyone can make an accusation, but this should have been closed immediately,” he added. 

Rosengart is also representing Britney Spears in her controversial conservatorship case, having replaced her court-appointed attorney, Samuel D. Ingham, last month. Controlled by the conditions of the complicated legal arrangement for over 13 years, the international hitmaker has not had any control over her finances since her public mental breakdown in 2007. 

Britney's father was awarded full responsibility for her estate by a Los Angeles judge in 2008, which is reportedly worth about $60 million, and continues to hold power over her bank account to this day. Britney Spears’ father agreed to step down as conservator last week but has not given any details on how or when he plans to do so. 

Rosengart has claimed that Jamie has massively profited from controlling his daughter's, telling the court he has allowed himself a salary of $16,000 (£11,500) per month from her earnings. 

While Jamie sees no justification for his removal as conservator, he has reportedly chosen to do so to halt the "public battle" with Britney. 

"There are, in fact, no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the conservator of the estate," his lawyer said in court documents. "And it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears' best interests."

"Nevertheless, even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests."