It’s official: Sam Asghari has filed for divorce from wife Britney Spears, citing irreconcilable differences.
Since the news broke on Wednesday, rumored reasons for the split have included cheating allegations and Spears’ alleged erratic behavior, neither of which has been mentioned by the former couple. However, fans have leapt to the 41-year-old’s defense on social media, with the singer gaining more than 40,000 followers on Instagram in just 24 hours.
Hashtags supporting the star have also popped up on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, including #JusticeForBritney, #WeLoveYouBritney and #IStandWithBritney.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Filmmagic
“That poor woman was so desperate to have someone to love and trust,” commented Nina, also on X. “She never saw the red flags.”
“Let’s all hit the unfollow button,” wrote @joyrosenberg, alongside a screenshot of Asghari’s Instagram account.
Asghari confronted the former teen idol a week ago over their marriage, according to TMZ, and the 29-year-old has since moved out of the house the couple shared.
The Iranian-American aspiring actor confirmed the breakup with an Instagram post that reads: “After 6 years of love and commitment to each other, my wife and I have decided to end our journey together.
“Asking for privacy seems rediculous so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful,” Asghari added.
The divorce filing states that Asghari will not challenge the prenup, but does intend to seek financial support from the star to cover legal fees. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Asghari’s representative Brandon Cohen refuted claims that the aspiring actor planned to release embarrassing footage of Spears if the terms of the prenup were not renegotiated.
“All these claims are false, as no negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be,” Cohen told the publication. “Sam has always and will always support her.”
Since the split went public, Spears has been posting cryptic messages to her Instagram account. This includes an eerie clip of a painting, featuring a woman lying on her back with her eyes closed, and an optical illusion with the accompanying caption: “How do you read this ??? It’s interesting !!!
“I see it as a message in a bottle !!! Or a baby who needs to get out !!! They whisper the poison like in Alice In Wonderland and they wait to see if they have the cure !!!
“Wise birds know who they are,” Spears added.
This isn’t the first time the star’s behavior on social media has confused fans. After posting a video of herself dancing in underwear, boots and a crop top to Instagram in July, viewers questioned Spears’ mental state, while conspiracy theories regarding her well-being have been circling for months. The singer has dismissed these on social media.