Inside Britney Spears and Sam Asghari’s Divorce, From Prenup Blackmail Claims to Her Headspace
Hours after news of their separation broke, Sam Asghari, Britney Spears’ estranged husband of one year, filed for divorce. Sources spoke to multiple outlets, including Page Six, TMZ, and Entertainment Tonight, about everything from how Asghari plans to contest the couple’s prenup to Spears’ coping with the heartbreak. The singer hasn’t directly addressed the split but broke her silence with an Instagram about her plans to buy horses.
Here, we break down all the reports in one place.
Asghari filed for divorce on Wednesday.
Entertainment Tonight and People reported that he filed for divorce hours after TMZ reported it was coming. TMZ also previously revealed that Asghari had left Spears’ home a week ago after the couple had a “nuclear argument” where Asghari brought up rumors that Spears had cheated on him.
One source says the split is better for Spears, while another says she’s struggling with it.
Entertainment Tonight was told that Spears was having trouble with the end of her one-year marriage and six-year relationship with Asghari. A source said that “[she] has not been doing well.”
“She has been denying any cheating allegations and going through a lot of emotions,” the source said. “She is hurt because the situation brings up old feelings for her. This is the last thing she needed, especially after her boys [her sons Jayden and Sean] moved to Hawaii, being worried about the fires there, and so on. She has been trying to get back on her feet and be healthy emotionally, physically, and mentally. Britney has people by her side and her immediate circle is there for her. They are rallying around her.”
NBC News got a terse but holistic picture. A source familiar with the situation told the outlet over text message that “They’re separated and it’s best for Britney.”
Things had been bad between Asghari and Spears for a while.
A source gave Entertainment Tonight candid details about the decay of their marriage. “Britney and Sam have had ups and downs throughout their relationship,” the source started. “They have a lot of love for each other, but they also argue a lot over fundamental issues. Sometimes they feel as though each other’s needs aren’t being completely met. Recently, things took a bad turn and their arguments became more serious and real.
“Their issues tend to get worse when they are away from each other and spending time apart. Britney has the tendency to feel like she isn’t being prioritized by Sam at times. Their arguments have led them to become unhappy at times in their relationship. They are also on different pages when it comes to their future as a couple, which has been a point of contention.”
A source claimed to Page Six that Asghari is threatening to blackmail Spears to get more money than their prenup allotted him. Another source dismissed that claim to Daily Mail.
A source told Page Six that Asghari was looking to renegotiate the couple’s prenup—and may even be willing to blackmail Spears to do it. “[He’s] attempting to negotiate concessions beyond his prenup and threatening to go public with extraordinarily embarrassing information about Britney unless he gets paid,” the outlet’s source said. “So that’s what Sam is focused on.”
A second source told Page Six that Spears’ team has “protected [her],” and the couple’s “parting will be respectful.” Regarding Asghari’s alleged plans to go public with unflattering info, “it’s blackmail and it’ll never happen,” that second source said.
A separate source told Daily Mail that Asghari would not go that route. “[These claims] are absurd and there is no way her attorney [Mathew Rosengart], a former federal prosecutor, would ever let anyone ever extort Britney Spears.”
Spears’ legal team for the divorce is full of star-powered attorneys.
Variety reports that Spears has a “dream team” of attorneys working with her on the divorce. In addition to Rosengart, who helped her get out of her conservatorship, Spears has famous celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser on retainer.
Asghari is now fully out of Spears’ life, and some are concerned about Spears’ limited remaining support system.
Sources told TMZ on Thursday that in losing Asghari, Spears has lost one of her strongest support systems. Spears has an understandably strained relationship with her family, who kept her in a conservatorship for nearly 14 years.
“She has one confidant, [her manager] Cade [Hudson],” a source told TMZ. “Then there’s her security team, and after that her support system falls off a cliff.” The outlet noted that her mother and other family members are very worried.
Spears posted an Instagram suggesting she was unbothered as news of the divorce broke.
Spears broke her social media silence shorty after TMZ reported her and Asghari’s separation…with an Instagram about her plans to buy horses. She wrote: “Buying a horse soon 🐴 !!! So many options it’s kinda hard !!! A horse called Sophie and another called Roar 🐎 ??? I can’t make up my mind 🙈 !!! Should I join the camaraderie and put a pink cowboy hat on 😜 ??? Either way I think I found my sweet spot with Roar 😘 !!!”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
