Britney Spears Responds After Smoking Incident on Plane: “I Thought I Could”

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Britney Spears is offering her take on an incident that raised eyebrows earlier this week. The singer, 43, admitted to lighting a cigarette aboard a charter flight from Cabo San Lucas to Los Angeles on May 22 — a move that prompted flight attendants to step in and, eventually, airport authorities to issue her a warning.

In an Instagram post the following day, Spears explained that she thought smoking might be allowed on the flight due to its setup, writing, “Some planes I’ve been on you can’t smoke mostly but this one was different because the drink holders were on outside of seat !!!” She also claimed it was her “first time drinking vodka,” and said she felt “so clear and smart” in the moment.

She went on to describe how a friend lit the cigarette for her, leading her to believe smoking was permitted. “My friend put it in my mouth and lit it up for me so I was like OH SO THIS IS A PLANE WHERE YOU CAN SMOKE !!!”

The cigarette was quickly extinguished after the crew intervened. According to Spears, she was surprised when law enforcement became involved. “I thought officials greeted me as support and I was like WOW I feel special,” she wrote. “The flight attendant called officials because I smoked a cigarette !!! And embarrass me which jeez I thought was kinda much…”

In the same post, she described one flight attendant as acting “weird” and claimed her personal space was invaded. Despite issuing an apology, Spears maintained that notifying officials was an overreaction.

“This is not her first warning,” a source told PEOPLE. “She doesn’t exactly follow the rules.”

Spears has remained a lightning rod for public attention since the end of her 13-year conservatorship in 2021. She recently released The Woman in Me, a bestselling memoir chronicling her rise to fame and legal battle for independence.