Sam Asghari Responds After Britney Spears Calls Their Marriage a 'Fake Distraction'

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Asghari said, "Our marriage was very real to me. 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."

Britney Spears is getting candid about her marriage to Sam Asghari.

On Sunday, the 43-year-old pop star shared a lengthy new Instagram post where she dropped a rare reflection on their 14-month marriage.

"We're just people so fragile and human the hardest years of my life were my two sons gone for those 3 years ... I was cut off from calling or texting and I remember in shock my secret to survival was denial and a lot of tears."

"It's weird me and Sam were married but it almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it," Spears wrote of her short marriage to Asghari, referring to her now adult sons, Sean Preston, 19, and Jayden, 18, with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

The singer went on to say she feels like she's entering a new chapter in her healing journey as she's reunited with her children over the last year, allowing her to regain her appetite, and begin to "own" her body again.

"Well I know im healing bc im hungry again like a child or baby... im so hungry it hurts and when I eat its like its my first time ever eating in my life ... I believe although I loved my home there is waaay too much abuse and trauma in there," she continued.

"Today I thank jesus for food it feel like telling others NO... Owning my body... and letting them REALLY know where im from," she continued. "My soul has never experienced food like this a day in my life... so silly and embarrassing im going to eat cookies and cream ice cream now...god bless u all."

Spears and Asghari tied the knot in June 2022 but split a year later, when he filed for divorce. Their divorce was finalized in May 2024.

Earlier this summer, Asghari opened up about their relationship, saying he wanted to protect her during their time together.

While appearing on Kaitlyn Bristowe's Off The Vine podcast, Asghari said that while he signed an NDA during his time with the "Stronger" singer, he also made clear this his "morals" would never allow him to speak badly about his ex.

"Even if you don't have it," Asghari began, referencing the NDA. "My morals. My family. Everything that I stand for doesn't allow me to talk to [the] public about things that are supposed to be private."

Touching on their split, the Iranian-born reality star said he looks at their relationship as a "blessing."

"Breakups sucks. Those things suck. No one wants that," Asghari began. "But instead of sitting there and thinking about why it ended or how it ended or whatever the case was, I always look back at it as it was a blessing."

He continued, "I'm never sad that it ended. I'm very happy that ever happened in every way possible, in a personal way and the love that we shared and the experiences that we shared and the things that she taught me. She taught me how to be a hard worker. She taught me that Hollywood is no bulls--t. You have to be a genius. You have to be hardworking, You have to be addicted to your work and just everything."

"And she's a true sweetheart; that's why America fell in love with her," Asghari, who met Spears in 2016 on the set of her music video, "Slumber Party," added. "We met on a music video, so we were coworkers, but truly she helped me get recognized, so I'm always going to be thankful for that as well."