Britney Spears has opened up about the personal struggles that shaped her short-lived marriage to actor Sam Asghari.
In a since-deleted Instagram post shared Aug. 23, Spears reflected on the years she was separated from her sons, Sean and Jayden Federline, calling them "the hardest years of my life," according to E! News. Spears admitted that during that time, her 2022 marriage to Asghari "felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it," E! News reported.
Asghari, however, offered a different view.
"Our marriage was very real to me," he told People through his rep at BAC Talent. "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."
Spears and Asghari married in June 2022 after dating for years, but the relationship unraveled quickly. Asghari filed for divorce in August 2023, and the split was finalized in May. Spears, 43, was declared legally single in December.
Looking back, the singer tied her emotional state at the time to being estranged from her children, Sean Federline, 20, and Jayden Federline, 18, whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
"I was cut off from calling or texting and I remember in shock my secret to survival was denial and a lot of tears," she wrote, according to E! News.
Despite the turmoil, Spears suggested she is finding a new sense of healing.
"I know I've healed because I'm hungry again like a child or baby," she added, E! News reported. "When I eat, it's like it's my first time ever eating in my life."
She also described her home as a place with "waaay too much abuse and trauma."
For his part, Asghari described the relationship as an important chapter in his life. In a July interview with E! News, he said: "You learn so much from being in relationships in general. It's something that's always going to be a part of me. I wish her the best. She's an amazing person and a huge part of my life."
He also revealed on the "Trading Secrets" podcast that he insisted on a prenup before their wedding to ensure Spears' protection.
"Throughout her life, everybody — I don't know one person that's ever been in her life that didn't take advantage of her," he said. "It's very sad. I wanted to make sure that I'm the person that don't do that."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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