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Last month, Britney Spears checked herself into rehab. She’s now back in LA, and all eyes are on her.
In fact, she’s getting so much attention that an energetic dinner out on Wednesday night made headlines.
At a tavern, she reportedly carried a knife through the dining area, lit a cigarette indoors, and barked.
Now, a new report says that she stopped by a liquor store beforehand. But what did she actually get?
What did she get from the liquor store?
The Daily Mail obtained surveillance footage of Britney and a friend stopping by a Sherman Oaks liquor store on Wednesday ahead of their dinner.
The footage shows the music superstar stop by Wines of the World with her companion in the LA neighborhood.
In the video, Britney walks around the store and seems to be in a good mood — from what one can tell in a video.
Her companion selected a canned beverage. The two then went up front to pay.
Britney selected a pack of gum and added it when it was time for him to pay.
So, just to clarify, this is footage of a 44-year-old woman buying gum before going to dinner with two companions.
She didn’t buy alcohol. It’s unclear if companion actually purchased an alcoholic beverage.
(Liquor stores do generally offer other items — such as, for example, gum.)
Rather than a look at a “wild” post-rehab Britney, we’re instead facing the jarring reality that has defined her world for the past quarter of a century.
Wherever she goes, she is surveilled. Her every action is under a microscope.
So, aside from being messy (and lighting up before leaving the restaurant), she did nothing wrong, right?
Admittedly, a liquor store is probably an ill-advised place for someone to visit in general after rehab.
Many people who visit rehab facilities may be struggling with addiction rather than simply with substance abuse.
Addiction is complex, and can wear down someone’s impulse-control until they might tell themselves anything to justify indulging once again.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with Britney. In her case, the big worry might be optics.
In a sense, one might argue that this surveillance footage is doing her a favor. Yes, it’s deeply intrusive. But it also shows her buying gum — rather than a vague mention of her simply stopping at a liquor store.
Britney’s rep highlighted that the dinner was a pretty normal dinner out.
The statement specified that she was at the dog-friendly tavern with her assistant and bodyguard.
For the knife, well, she was at a restaurant and wanted to cut her burger. (Some of us don’t touch burgers with our hands, but in her case, it was just to slice one in half.)
As for the “barking,” she was telling a story about her own dog. At a restaurant that welcomes dogs on its patio.
One wonders if all of the hysteria surrounding Britney’s every move and Instagram post has primed people to imagine her actions as more dramatic and messy than they actually are.