Sam Asghari has finally broken his silence after his estranged wife, Britney Spears, released her new memoir The Woman in Me on Tuesday.
The book sees the Spears, 41, set the record straight on a number of areas of her life—and, within its pages, she sings the praises of 29-year-old Asghari.
The Princess of Pop and the fitness trainer announced their divorce in August 2023 after being together for seven years and 14 months of marriage. Court documents filed at a court in Los Angeles at the time cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce. They revealed that Asghari and Spears had separated in July, three weeks before the public was informed.
In the memoir, the aspiring actor is portrayed as having a strong influence on Spears throughout their relationship, and she even describes him as a “gift from God.”
Asghari said about the comments on Wednesday: “That made me smile, to be honest, I am freaking proud of her and I hope she takes over the world.”
Newsweek has emailed Spears’ and Asghari’s representatives for comment.
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While fans may be surprised by Spears’ kind words about her ex, the couple split after the book was seemingly finalized and sent to the printer, so the breakup is not addressed.
The pair met in October 2016 when Asghari—whom she refers to by his full name, Hesam—starred as Spears’ love interest in the music video for her hit track “Slumber Party”. The duo hit it off immediately and exchanged numbers during the shoot.
“I knew I wanted him in my life immediately. I was instantly smitten. The chemistry with us in the beginning was insane. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other,” she wrote of Asghari. “He called me his lioness.”
Spears added later: “I have an appreciation for how stable he is. I love that he doesn’t even drink.”
The “Toxic” singer regularly thanks Asghari for being there for her during dark times in her life. She is also appreciative of the spiritual impact he has had on her.
“Hesam and I always pray together. I look up to him—his consistency with working out and being a good man and being healthy and taking care of me and helping me learn how we can take care of each other. He’s such an inspiration and I’m grateful,” Spears said.
So far, their separation seems relatively amicable and in a statement previously posted online, Asghari said that he and Spears will “hold onto the love and respect” they have for each other.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.