Britney Spears’ ex-husband, Jason Alexander, pleaded not guilty to four charges today when he was arraigned at a court in Ventura, California, accused of trying to gatecrash the pop idol’s wedding last week while armed with a knife.
Dressed in blue prison overalls over an orange undershirt, Alexander, 40 – who has been in jail since his arrest June 9 – denied one count of felony stalking, one of battery, one of vandalism and one of trespassing and refusing to leave Spears’ $7.4 million Thousand Oaks estate where she married longtime fiance Sam Asghari that day.
Despite his intrusion, the wedding went off without a hitch. But the following day, June 10, the newlyweds were granted a temporary restraining order against Alexander, forcing him to stay at least 100 yards away from them or their home.
At today’s 15-minute hearing, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Catherine Voelker set bail at $100,000 and ordered Alexander to appear again Wednesday for ‘pre-trial risk assessment.’
The judge told Alexander – who appeared in court via video hookup from the local jail – that if he managed to raised the $100,000 bail, because of the felony stalking charge, he would not be allowed ‘to contact, annoy, harass,’ Britney and her new husband, and not to come within 100 yards of them for three years.
Spears married Alexander, her childhood friend, in Las Vegas in January 2004. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later with Spears’ lawyers claiming the singer ‘lacked understanding of her action.’
Spears was previously married from 2004 to 2007 to Kevin Federline, with whom she shares two sons, ages 14 and 15.
She met Asghari in 2016 on the set of the video for her song “Slumber Party.”
Jason Alexander pleaded not guilty to four charges in a California court Monday, after allegedly crashing his pop icon ex-wife Britney Spears’ wedding
Assistant District Attorney Erin Meister addressing the court while Alexander looks on via video screen behind her
At today’s 15-minute hearing, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Catherine Voelker set bail at $100,000 and ordered Alexander to appear again Wednesday for ‘pre-trial risk assessment’
Britney Spears’ lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, stands in the back of a Ventura County, California, courtroom as his client’s ex-husband appears on felony stalking and battery charges
Britney Spears’ wedding was dramatically interrupted, as her first husband, Jason Alexander, showed up trying to crash the event
Judge Voelker also told him that if he made bail, he would not be allowed to buy or possess any firearms or other dangerous weapons and any he already has would have to be turned in.
Asked by Alexander if he agreed to those bail terms, – whose not guilty pleas were entered by public defender Matthew Terry – said ‘yes.’
Even if he did raise the $100,000 bail, in the next two days before the next hearing, he would not go free.
Alexander has an outstanding 2016 arrest warrant in Napa County, Northern California accusing him of stealing a $2,000 sapphire and diamond tennis bracelet from a woman who was renting him a room, and later pawning it for $180.
Judge Catherine Voelker is presiding over the case in Ventura County Court
Spears and Alexander were married in here in 2004 although their marriage was annulled just 55 hours later
Soears’ lawyer argued at the time that the singer did not understand her actions at the time of the wedding
According to the order, Alexander, 40, who livestreamed (pictured) his attempts to crash the wedding, was ‘armed with a knife’ when he trespassed on the singer’s $7million California property
At one stage, Alexander entered the wedding tent that had been erected for the Spears’s nuptials (left) but security personnel were never far behind (right)
The newlywed popstar, 40, was seen smiling from ear-to-ear in newly-released wedding photos, which reveal all the details of her one-of-a-kind gown, from the off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline to her funky white choker necklace
He can be seen in aerial footage being escorted off the property. He has been charged with two counts of battery, one of vandalism and one of trespassing
The warrant charges include grand theft and buying or receiving stolen property.
As for today’s charges arising from him trying to crash Britney’s wedding, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies, just a few hours before the fairytale ceremony Alexander scaled a fence and climbed down a rocky slope to get on to the blonde singer’s 20-acre property inside an exclusive gated community.
Running toward Spears’ 12,464-square-foot Italian-style villa, he reportedly screamed: ‘I’m Jason Alexander. The first husband. I’m here to crash the wedding.’
Deputies say he then entered the wedding tent where 40 year-old Spears’ nuptials were soon to be held, shouting: ‘She’s my first wife, she’s my only wife.’
After allegedly fighting with Britney’s security guards, he was wrestled to the ground and later arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery, vandalism and trespassing. The felony stalking charge was only added today.
One of the security guards involved in the incident was also granted a restraining order against Alexander.
In their request for a restraining order Spears and Asghari, 28, alleged that Alexander was carrying a knife when he was arrested.
After today’s hearing, Britney’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, told DailyMail.com, ‘I give a lot of credit to the Ventura County Sheriff and the Ventura County District attorney who are clearly taking this very seriously.
‘Personally I am outraged by what happened. Now, quite rightly, (Alexander) is charged with felony stalking and he’s being held under $100,00 bail as a result.’