Who Is Britney Spears' Ex-Husband? All About Sam Asghari

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari's divorce is final.

The former couple separated in August 2023 after 14 months of marriage. Less than a year later, their divorce was finalized after they were able to come to a settlement in May 2024.

Spears tied the knot with the actor and personal fitness trainer on June 9, 2022. The pair said "I do" in front of roughly 60 guests (including Madonna and Drew Barrymore) in Los Angeles, nearly nine months after announcing their engagement in September 2021. Ahead of the ceremony, a source told PEOPLE that Spears "[couldn't] wait to marry him."

After moving to the United States from his native Iran in 2006, Asghari has starred on series such as Black Monday and Hacks and appeared in several magazines and videos, which is how he met Spears. After playing the singer's love interest in her 2016 music video "Slumber Party," the pair turned their fictional relationship into reality several months later.

Over the course of their relationship, Asghari appeared on Spears' social media often, including a May 2023 video post where the singer kissed her husband in her garden.

So, who is the man who once captured Britney Spears' heart? Here's everything to know about Sam Asghari and his former relationship with the pop superstar.

He was born in Iran

At 12 years old, Asghari immigrated from his native Iran to Los Angeles and settled down with his father, mother and three sisters in 2006 — a move that wasn't easy, he explained to Men's Health in 2018.

"I had to leave my friends and family, who I was very close with, and I knew I was moving away and never coming back," he said.

Although his father moved back to Tehran in 2009, Asghari appreciated the opportunity to live in the U.S.

"When people complain nowadays about what's happening in the U.S. and the imperfections of the country, I never understand because I come from a country where there was no freedom whatsoever," he told GQ in June 2022.

He learned to speak English by watching Hannah Montana

Asghari became a U.S. citizen in 2012 but didn't know how to speak English upon his arrival. While he took English classes at his school, he credited Disney's Hannah Montana for helping him learn the language.

Despite the large Iranian population in Los Angeles, Asghari was dedicated to assimilating into American culture.

"I had one friend that spoke Farsi, but we never spoke Farsi to each other," he told GQ. "We were very committed to fitting in, and we did many, many, many things to fit in. We used to drink Gatorade every single morning off the vending machine, because we thought it was an American thing to do."

He's a personal trainer

An athlete throughout his childhood, having played football in high school and college, Asghari turned his hobby into a job.

Asghari runs Asghari Fitness, which offers members personalized training programs and personalized seven-day meal plans for $9 a week.

He also regularly posts videos on his fitness Instagram page (@asgharifitness) and photos of himself working out.

His sister got him into modeling

Asghari also has parlayed his fit physique into a second career in modeling — and he has his sister to thank for helping him step outside his comfort zone and onto the runway.

"I was a very masculine guy — I played football and was in the police academy," Asghari told Men's Health. "At the time, my Sunday best was basketball shorts. My sister said, 'I will take you to this audition, just come with me.' "

Following his first runway show at 21 years old, Asghari's résumé began to grow. In addition to modeling, he was cast in TV, music and film projects.

He first met Spears on the set of her "Slumber Party" music video

Aside from minor parts in a Super Bowl ad and Fifth Harmony's "Work from Home" music video, Asghari got his big break when he was cast as Spears' love interest in her 2016 music video for "Slumber Party."

"It was the humbleness that attracted me," he told GQ of their meeting. "She was very humble, and she had a beautiful soul."

Asghari added that she gave him "butterflies."

He wants to hone in on his acting career

Although he's had minor roles on several shows, including NCIS, The Family Business, Hacks and Black Monday, Asghari has expressed he wants to take his acting career more seriously and diversify his resume. In 2021, he was cast in the action-thriller Hot Seat opposite Mel Gibson, marking the actor's first major film role.

"Action is something that I want to do — action, drama thriller — that's a genre that I want to really get into," he told Variety in May 2021. "But if you can do comedy, you can do anything."

Asghari told the outlet he hopes to eventually move into "blockbusters" and "TV shows that get on Netflix and become fan favorites." He added, "My ultimate goal is to really become a well-rounded actor. I'm doing a lot of MMA training; I'm doing a lot of gun and stunt training to be a well-rounded actor such as Tom Cruise ... Jason Statham."

On Nov. 16, 2022, Variety announced that Asghari was joining the cast of the Paramount+ series Lioness. The next day, the actor posted about the news on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the headline.

"It's a pleasure to join such a badass cast 🦁🎥," he wrote in the caption, adding, "Hey @paramountplus do I get a free subscription now? 😂"

He and Spears worked out together

When Asghari wasn't on set or personally training clients, he enjoyed getting active with Spears.

"Working out together is always nice and we try to do it a couple times," he told Men's Health in 2018. "It's super healthy, mentally and physically. It takes your mind off of everything else."

The two regularly worked out together at Spears' home gym and often shared their sweat sessions on Instagram.

Spears also once joked to The Associated Press, "He's a trainer so everything has to be so perfect. We probably did 40 [takes], and I hurt myself."

He hoped to start a family with Spears

Before the couple announced a pregnancy with a "miracle baby" (and a subsequent loss), Asghari shared that he hoped to be a "young dad."

"I want to take my relationship to the next step," he told Forbes in 2021. "I don't mind becoming a father. I want to be a young dad."

He was supportive of Spears

In May 2023, Asghari defended Spears in an Instagram Story, calling people in Spears' inner circle "absolutely disgusting" in an apparent reference to a TMZ documentary on his wife's conservatorship.

"The last thing I want to do is speak on my wife's behalf, I will never do that. I respect her privacy, that's why I don't talk as much," Asghari said in the video. "I found it absolutely disgusting for the people that were in her life at the time when she didn't have a voice, they went and told her story like it was theirs. It was absolutely disgusting."

He also described how Spears was "in prison, where her father tells her what to do, what water to drink, who to see, and use her as a money-making machine," adding, "now you're gonna put her under a microscope and tell her story? No. That's also disgusting, so don't do that."

He filed for divorce from Spears in August 2023

After 14 months of marriage, the couple decided to go their separate ways. Asghari filed for divorce on Aug. 16, 2023. He cited irreconcilable differences and requested that Spears pay spousal support.

"It's been very toxic between them for a long time," a source told PEOPLE. Another insider added: "Their marriage has been on the rocks for months. There has been constant drama. It's sad. A divorce would be devastating for Britney."

A day after filing, Asghari broke his silence in a statement on Instagram.

"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."

The actor continued: "S--- HAPPENS. ASKING FOR PRIVACY SEEMS [RIDICULOUS] SO I WILL JUST ASK FOR EVERYONE ... TO BE KIND AND THOUGHTFUL."

Meanwhile, a source told PEOPLE that Spears is still “in great spirits despite everything going on."

“Obviously it's never an easy thing to go through, but she’s remaining positive and focusing on the future," the insider said.

In May 2024, Spears and Asghari's divorce was finalized, and a source told PEOPLE that their prenuptial agreement was "not challenged" in the process.

"Britney is continuing to flex her freedom and is moving on," the source said, adding that a report that claimed the singer was in financial ruin was "false."