Britney Spears’ ex-husband Sam Asghari has said the singer has been ‘oppressed’ whilst linking her struggle to those faced by Iranian women.
Last week the Princess of Pop, 44, was arrested under the suspicion of ‘driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs’ after being pulled over in Los Angeles.
Soon after a representative for the singer said the incident was ‘completely inexcusable’ and expressed their hopes that it would encourage her to seek ‘help and support she needs during this difficult time’.
A few days on, her ex-husband has defended Britney and expressed his hopes she could ‘recover from this’.
The fitness trainer, 32, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored this week to discuss America’s war with his native country, Iran.
Late last month, Iran began targeting neighbouring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, after the United States launched a ‘major combat operation’ to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, whilst also killing its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In recent weeks Sam has been speaking about his home country – which he said had been ‘violated by one of the most brutal regimes in the world’.
However, after speaking about Iran with Pierce, he was then asked about his ex-wife, who he was married to for 14 months before they split in August 2023.
‘Coming from the country of Iran and seeing women being oppressed… not comparing the situation whatsoever, she was also oppressed by many people who took advantage of her, and sort of had the same experience as women do in Iran,’ he told the broadcaster.
‘As someone that’s an advocate for women’s rights and wants freedom of speech, and wants freedom for everybody, it was hard to believe and hard to see that someone in America was being oppressed.
‘I’ve seen what she struggles with. Even though we were married for one year, we were together for seven years, so my respect for her always stands.’
He continued: ‘I’m a strong believer that she needs her privacy, and everybody makes mistakes. If she made a mistake, I really think she’s a strong woman and she could come back from this.’
When asked if he still talks to Britney, Sam did not confirm if this was the case, stating: ‘I always celebrate the past. It’s something that I like to celebrate. And when things get done with, I always will appreciate it for the rest of my life, and I wish her nothing but the best.
‘I’m always going to respect her and I’m always going to support her wellbeing, and I truly believe that she can recover from this.’
After being reported for driving erratically on a highway, and ‘showing signs of impairment’ when being pulled over by police, Britney is now set to appear in court on May 4.
Just hours after news of her arrest broke, Sam appeared on Fox News where he avoided mentioning Britney’s legal troubles, instead choosing to focus the conversation on the ongoing war in Iran.
‘You know, my focus has been on the Iran situation because this was such a huge situation that deserved my full attention,’ he said.
‘As it goes in my past…I cannot skip the past, I celebrate the past… and I think everybody makes mistakes and everybody deserves privacy.’
‘I’d like to stay focused on the situation because it is bigger than everything right now…and I am fully responsible to be focused on that.’
Sam was born in Tehran in 1994, before moving to the United States at the age of 13.
He first met Britney in 2016 when appearing in the music video for her song Slumber Party.
The pair began dating whilst she was under a court-ordered conservatorship, which had initially been implemented following her public mental health struggles in 2008. It was eventually terminated in November 2021, with the couple then getting married seven months later.
But just over a year later he filed for divorce, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’.
Following Britney’s arrest last week her two other ex-husbands’ spoke out. Jason Alexander – who she was infamously married to for only 55 hours in 2004, shared a lengthy message on Instagram in which he said ‘everyone needs to slow down with the headlines’ about the singer.
‘If reports are accurate that she blew a .06, that is below the legal limit in most states. If the only substances in her system were legally prescribed medications, that changes the narrative completely,’ he wrote.
‘At most, what is being discussed right now could potentially amount to minor misdemeanour charges – things like reckless driving or simple possession if a substance was found in the car. But the internet has already jumped straight to “drunk driving”, “rehab” and all kinds of speculation that hasn’t been proven. Britney Spears deserves the same thing anyone else does facts, fairness, and due process.’
Britney was also married to Kevin Federline, 47, from 2004 to 2007. The pair shared two sons, Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19.
Following her arrest, Kevin’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told TMZ his client ‘hopes’ Britney will be open to seeking help. ‘Kevin hopes for the best for Britney and if help is necessary, he hopes that she will neither resist it or those who are attempting to work with her,’ he said.
After Britney’s arrest, her representative told Metro: ‘This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.
‘Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.’
They added that her sons would be ‘spending time with her’ and her loved ones were ‘going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for wellbeing’.
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