Sam Asghari Speaks Out About Britney Spears Divorce: "I Wish Her the Best Always"

Just hours after news broke on 16 Aug. that Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are separating after one year of marriage, 29-year-old Asghari filed for divorce. In court documents obtained by POPSUGAR, Asghari listed their date of separation as 28 July, 2023. He also cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split and is seeking spousal support.

On 17 Aug., Asghari publicly addressed the split for the first time in a statement shared on his Instagram Stories. "After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together," Asghari wrote. "We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Sh*t happens."

He continued: "Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful."

Image Source: Instagram user samasghari

When Spears and Asghari got married last year, the singer's lawyers confirmed to E! News that Asghari had signed a prenuptial agreement to protect her "best interests." However, the court documents state that "[Asghari] has yet to determine the full nature and extent of the separate property assets and obligations of each party" and that he "reserves the right to amend this petition or to conform the Petition to proof."

The docs also state that "there are various items of community and quasi-community assets and debts, the full nature and extent of which are unknown to [Asghari] at this time" and that Asghari "reserves the right to amend" or "conform" that petition as well.

Asghari's rep told POPSUGAR in a statement, "There are many claims that Sam is challenging the prenup and threatening to exploit his ex-wife with videos. However, all these claims are false, as no negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be. Sam has always and will always support her."

Meanwhile, a source told People that things have reportedly been "very toxic" between Spears, 41, and Asghari for a long time. "Their marriage has been on the rocks for months," the insider said. "There has been constant drama. It's sad. A divorce would be devastating for Britney." TMZ was first to report on their breakup.

Reps for Spears did not respond to POPSUGAR's requests for comments.

Spears and Asghari first met on the set of the singer's "Slumber Party" music video in 2016. The pair, who still follow each other on Instagram, announced their engagement on 12 Sept., 2021, exactly two months after the singer's 13-year conservatorship ended. They tied the knot on 9 June, 2022, in an intimate Los Angeles ceremony with 60 guests.

Shortly after their wedding, Asghari opened up about married life in a "Good Morning America" interview, saying, "It's just surreal. It was way overdue for us, and we imagined this thing being a fairy tale, and it was. We wanted to just celebrate, and that's what we did."

Two months after exchanging vows, Spears wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, "Guys just two months ago I got married 🎉🎉🎉 !!! Can you believe it 🙈🙈🙈 ???" alongside photos from her "fairytale wedding."

While Spears has yet to publicly address the split, the singer is slated to drop her tell-all memoir, "The Woman in Me," this fall. According to publisher Simon & Schuster, the book "is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope."

— Additional reporting by Monica Sisavat