Britney Spears’ ex Sam Asghari is responding to the Gimme More singer’s thoughts about their marriage that she laid bare in a recent Instagram post.
In contrast to the 43-year-old singer’s notions of their bond, Asghari continues to harbor affectionate feelings towards his ex. Speaking to PEOPLE, the 31-year-old Iranian-American model and actor said through his representative Branden Cohen, “Our marriage was very real to me. It may have been short, but we were together for seven years. I was in love with her, will always have love for her, and wish her the best always.”
His response was followed by the Criminal singer’s unexpected Instagram post. Although the post foregrounded her bare back, what attracted eyeballs was her caption, which reflected “the hardest years of my life” when she was not allowed to talk to her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
In a now-deleted caption, the pop icon talked about her coping mechanism in dealing with the struggle, adding, “I remember in shock my secret to survival was denial and a lot of tears, its weird me and Sam were married but it almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it.”
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Per E! News, Spears met the personal trainer in 2016 on the sets of her Slumber Party music video, and six years later, in 2022, the couple tied the knot. However, things soon turned downhill for them with Asghari filing a petition for divorce citing irreconcilable differences in August 2023.
According to USA Today, the actor had then posted a conciliatory message on his Instagram Story, mentioning, “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other, and I wish her the best always.”
In response to the divorce news, the Grammy-awarded singer expressed her astonishment on an Instagram post, in which she is seen wearing a neon green bikini bottom, a black crop top, and tall boots, dancing to “If” by Janet Jackson. Stating that her divorce was “nobody’s business”, she began to write, “As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together … 6 years is a long time to be with someone, so I’m a little shocked…”
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Their divorce was officially finalized in May 2024.
Adding to her implication of using the relationship as a way to deflect from the pain of estrangement, Spears opened up about her healing journey through food. In the since-deleted caption, she shared that she’s feeling “hungry again like a child or baby.”
However, ever since their split, the former personal trainer has affirmed a positive approach towards his ex. According to E! News, he even celebrated and showcased his support when Spears published her memoir The Woman in Me in October. Speaking to TMZ at that time, the Hot Seat actor expressed that he was “freaking proud” of Britney.
Spears’ The Woman In Me chronicles her journey from being famous to her relationships. Interestingly, the Toxic singer had expressed her gratitude for her marriage with Asghari in the book, calling it “a gift from God.” In response to the mention, Asghari is recorded saying, “To be honest, that made me smile”, in a video published by TMZ. He had then added to proclaim, “I hope she takes over the world.”
Additionally, in response to an alleged TMZ documentary about her conservatorship, Asghari revealed his own opinions about her inner circle in a video shared to his Instagram Story per PEOPLE. Admitting that he had would never “speak on my wife’s behalf”, since he “respect(s) her privacy”, he added, “I found it absolutely disgusting for the people that were in her life at the time when she didn’t have a voice, they went and told her story like it was theirs. It was absolutely disgusting.”
In a June 2025 Page Six Radio interview with Danny Murphy and Ian Mohr, Asghari opened up about his marriage to Spears. In addition to admitting the pitfalls in their marriage, the Traitors Season 3 competitor also confessed that the marriage was a scaffold to his career, saying, “I can’t sit here and say, ‘It wasn’t good for me.’ When you’re in such a public relationship…it sort of gave me the platform for who I am.”