After over a year of marriage, Britney Spears’ husband Sam Asghari has reportedly filed for divorce. This news comes after TMZ first reported the couple separated on Aug. 16. Sources then confirmed their split to People that same day, stating it’s been “very toxic between them for a long time.”
It seems this might’ve been on the horizon for a while. In the same People report, multiple sources said their relationship had been “struggling for months.” Another source echoed a similar comment to the outlet, saying: “Their marriage has been on the rocks for months. There has been constant drama. It’s sad. A divorce would be devastating for Britney.” The source didn’t reveal the reasoning behind their reported drama.
Rumors of marital issues have followed the couple since earlier this year. In March, Asghari and Spears were seen without their wedding rings. While the Blackout singer never addressed her decision not to wear her ring, Asghari’s manager revealed he removed his band because he was filming a movie at the time.
The former couple first met on the set of Spears’ 2016 “Slumber Party” music video, where Asghari starred as her love interest. They began dating shortly afterward, and the singer hard launched their relationship in a sweet Instagram post in January 2017. That same month, Spears told AMP 103.7’s Fast in the Morning with Nathan Fast and Sybil Summers she “made the first move” after spending time with him on set.
“We were sitting there and we were waiting together for 20 minutes at a time, so we were basically forced to talk to each other,” she said, per People. “I found his number in my bag. I was like, ‘He is really cute, this guy is really cute.’ So I called him and ever since then, he is just a really fun, funny person.”
Thus began seven years of the duo flaunting their romance on social media, with Asghari supporting Spears as she worked to end her 13-year conservatorship. Even after its successful termination in November 2021, the model publicly defended his wife from those looking to “exploit her pain” through documentaries. The duo eventually tied the knot in a backyard wedding at their California home in June 2022.
Neither Spears nor Asghari have yet addressed the divorce reports; however, that hasn’t stopped those close to them from subtly reacting to the sudden news. According to E News, Jamie Lynn Spears reportedly liked People’s Instagram post announcing the couple’s separation.