Just 14 months after the couple wed, Britney Spears’ husband said on Thursday that his marriage to the troubled pop singer is over and that he is seeking a divorce.
Sam Asghari stated that although the couple was parting ways, they would “hold onto the love” they now have.
“After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” the Iranian-born model wrote on Instagram.
“We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always,” the 29-year-old added.
“Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Asghari cited “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for the divorce, according to court filings filed in Los Angeles.
The couple got married in 2022, just a year after a California judge ended a contentious conservatorship that had prevented Spears from managing her own life and finances for 14 years. Many fans viewed this legal arrangement as exploitative.
The now-41-year-old singer said that while under the conservatorship, which was mostly overseen by her father Jamie Spears, she was compelled to work, had her phone monitored, and was unable to get an IUD removed despite wanting more children.
“I just want my life back,” Spears told the court in 2021.
The singer — whose hits include “Oops!… I Did It Again,” and “Toxic” — reportedly has a prenuptial agreement in place that will protect her assets.
Asghari’s divorce petition says the two have been separated since last month.
Spears rocketed to fame in her teens on hits like “…Baby One More Time,” becoming one of the world’s reigning pop stars at the turn of the millennium.
The conservatorship started about a year after she had a highly publicized breakdown in 2007, which included hitting a photographer’s car at a service station.
Spears introduced Asghari to her in 2016 after he made an appearance in the music video for her song “Slumber Party.”
In 2022, the couple revealed a surprise pregnancy, however a few weeks later they reported the pregnancy had terminated in miscarriage.
Sean and Jayden, Spears’ two adolescent sons, are the product of her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Additionally, she had a brief marriage to Jason Alexander, a childhood acquaintance, lasting less than three days.
Spears announced on Instagram Wednesday night that she was going to acquire a horse but made no mention of her marital status as rumors of her breakup with Asghari started to circulate.
In October, her autobiography, “The Woman In Me,” will be published.
