Sam Asghari Finally Breaks Silence On Britney Spears' Viral Knife Dancing Video

Actor Sam Asghari and pop star Britney Spears may have called it quits last year, but there are still plenty of questions lingering about their relationship.

The couple met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016 and became engaged in September 2021, only two months before her controversial 13-year conservatorship was struck down by a judge.

They tied the knot a few months later, but the “Special Ops: Lioness” actor called it quits in August 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. After a lengthy divorce battle, they were finally declared legally single in December 2024.

In September 2023, only a few weeks after the former personal trainer filed for divorce, the “Toxic” singer shared a video that featured her dancing barefoot and twirling around with two large knives in her hands. Although she claimed that they were “not” real knives, many fans felt otherwise and even called the police to perform a welfare check on the pop star.

In an episode of The Viall Files, which went up on Wednesday, February 12, Asghari refused to say whether or not the viral dancing video was a reflection of Spears’ mental state. While Asghari had defended her right to post racy content in the past, many were concerned that the video could have potentially placed the pop star back under another court-ordered conservatorship.

Even though the video opened up speculation into Spears’ mental state and well-being, Asghari told host Nick Viall that he would never stop his ex-wife from sharing the video in comments transcribed by Peoplemagazine.

“I'm not someone that's ‘Let me, let me take your phone from you and not allow you to do anything and restrict you from posting your own content,’" Asghari said. “And, and especially if you're an artist, I think, you know, we're talking about she's a genius artist. What's in her head is gold, and it's what made her who she is.”

“So when you take away the ability to, you know, make art express yourself, I'm not gonna be the one that's gonna stop anybody from posting whatever they want,” he continued, adding, “especially if dance is the way you express yourself.”

Although many kids grew up listening to Britney Spears, Asghari was not as familiar with her. He immigrated from Iran at the age of 12, but admitted he would not be able to recognize a Spears song on the radio if he heard one. “I didn't know any of the songs. If you put it on, I couldn't tell you different,” he explained.

In fact, he said that he didn’t realize what a high-profile celebrity she was until he attended a show during her Las Vegas residency. He said he realized that night “what an amazing performer” the Princess of Pop really was.

Asghari said that, after they met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016, they went out for a sushi date a few weeks later to explore their “natural” connection. Their relationship blossomed from there, as he described their “very traditional” courtship.

“I got to know her a little bit, and she was super sweet and everything was perfect,” he explained of their early romance. “And then after that, I think we went to a movie. We kept seeing each other for a very long time.”

Although they had a solid foundation in their relationship, “The Traitors” season 3 reality star did struggle with one aspect of her life. The “Stronger” singer was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship in February 2008 and remained in one until November 2021. The whole time they were dating, the pop star was subject to the demands of her management team and her father, Jamie Spears.

“This is a seven-year-long relationship, and it's the longest I've been in a relationship with somebody, and it's the longest she's ever been in a relationship with somebody,” Asghari said. “But, you know, we had to deal with — she was under the conservatorship, and that was very strange for me to deal with. I got hit with that at the beginning.”

“I wanted to be the normal part about that life because she never, I don't think she had that,” he continued. He went on to say that he believed their relationship was a “right place, right time” moment and said that the two were “meant to be” for that chapter of her life.

Sam Asghari is currently dating real estate agent Brooke Irvine, while Britney Spears has an up-and-down relationship with her former housekeeper, Paul Richard Soliz, who was allegedly fired for his criminal history.