Britney Spears and Sam Asghari Finally Reach Divorce Agreement
By Kristin Myers on May 2, 2024 at 7:20 AM EDT
Singer Britney Spears and actor Sam Asghari have finalized their divorce and are now officially single in the eyes of the law.
In August 2023, the "Special Ops: Lioness" actor filed for divorce from the "Oops!... I Did It Again" singer citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. The two first met on the set of her "Slumber Party" music video in 2016 and tied the knot in June 2022, only a few months after her controversial 13-year conservatorship was struck down by a judge in November 2021.
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari Have Finally Settled Their Divorce
On May 1, the former couple filed a Stipulated Judgement with Britney's response to Sam's divorce petition. The court document was filed by Britney's high-power attorney Laura Wasser.
Due to the prenup in place, it is likely that Sam won't end up with much after the divorce. There were rumors that Sam's lawyer, Neal Hersh, planned to contest the prenup, but it looks like that never happened. Instead, those rumors were replaced by speculation that Britney would cut Sam a six-figure check in order to expedite the divorce process.
Once the judge signs off on the court document, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari will be officially declared single. News of the May 1 filing was first announced by TMZ.
Why Did The Divorce Take So Long?
Many fans have been wondering why it took so long to finalize the divorce when Britney’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, hired a family attorney to craft an ironclad prenup. Only a few hours after the actor filed for divorce in August 2023, a source told Page Six that it looked like Sam was going to contest the prenup. The insider revealed that Sam was “attempting to negotiate concessions beyond his prenup and threatening to go public with extraordinarily embarrassing information about Britney unless he gets paid.”
The day after he filed for divorce, a rep for the actor, Brandon Cohen, told The Hollywood Reporter that Sam had no intention of challenging the prenup. “There are many claims that Sam is challenging the prenup and threatening to exploit his ex-wife with videos,” his rep told THR. “However, all these claims are false, as no negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be. Sam has always and will always support her.”
However, in January 2023, a source told Us Weekly that the divorce was dragging on because Sam wanted to be “compensated” for his time spent in the relationship. “Sam feels he should be compensated properly for everything he went through with Britney,” one insider told the outlet. “The exact amount he wants is being kept confidential, but he’s not happy with what Britney and her team have proposed.”
Sources Claim Sam Is Asking For 'Everything Under The Sun' In The Divorce
A second source went on to claim that “Sam is going for everything under the sun.” The source went on to say that the settlement was “stuck in limbo” and “Things have become a lot more complicated than both of them had hoped it would be.” The insider went on to say that Britney had also stopped paying Sam’s rent.
“Britney is in no mood to be pushed around or rushed into signing over another huge check to Sam,” the source said at the time. “She wants to stick to the letter of the paperwork and feels that’s all he’s entitled to, period.”
Even though Sam’s rep first said that the claim that the actor would challenge the prenup is “false,” a source told Us Weekly “Sam isn’t hurting for cash, but he’s willing to dig in and fight for the extra money he feels he deserves.”
They also went on to note that Sam and Britney “don’t talk” to each other. “It’s difficult with this situation being unresolved, plus both of them are keen to put the marriage behind them and move on with their lives,” the source said. It remains to be seen if the former couple will attempt to strike up a friendship following the divorce.
Britney Spears Says She Was 'A Little Shocked' By The Divorce
After news of the divorce broke, Britney gave a lengthy statement on Instagram, stating, “As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together … 6 years is a long time to be with someone so, I’m a little shocked but … I’m not here to explain why because its honestly nobody’s business !!!”
She went on to say, “You’re supposed to be loved unconditionally … not under conditions !!!! So I will be as strong as I can and do my best !!! And I’m actually doing pretty d--- good !!!”
Sam, meanwhile, took to his Instagram Stories to make his own brief statement regarding the divorce in August 2023. “After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” he wrote. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. S--- happens. Asking for privacy seems [ridiculous] so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”