Britney Spears’ newly released memoir, The Woman in Me, shares many details about her past flings, relationships, and marriages - including her most recent marriage to Sam Asghari. However, the book was written prior to announcing their divorce this summer.
The “Toxic” singer, 41, and the fitness instructor, 29, separated in August after just 14 months of marriage. Asghari filed for divorce and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. He listed their date of separation as 28 July, months after Spears reportedly finished writing her bombshell memoir.
As a result, fans won’t be reading many negative excerpts about Asghari or the reasons for the end of the marriage. In fact, Spears praises her now ex-husband throughout the book, which is perhaps why he didn’t seem too worried about being painted in a negative light.
In her memoir, Spears detailed the first time she met Asghari on the set of her 2016 music video for “Slumber Party”. The pop star explained that she “immediately” knew she wanted Asghari in her life, and was “instantly smitten” with him. Just two weeks into their relationship, tabloids claimed that Asghari was already cheating on Spears, but they ignored the negative press, according to Spears.
“The chemistry with us in the beginning was insane,” she said. “We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. He called me his lioness.”
In the battle to end Spears’ 13-year long conservatorship controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, many fans applauded Asghari’s public support of Spears. In February 2021, Asghari shared an Instagram Story condemning his then-girlfriend’s conservatorship and wrote: “I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles in our way.” When Spears was released from her conservatorship in November that year, Asghari shared a video of the couple dancing to one of Spears’ songs while wearing T-shirts that read: “#FreeBritney”.
In her memoir, Spears acknowledged Asghari’s support for her conservatorship to be terminated. The “Slave 4 U” singer recalled how he “squeezed” her hand as a show of support when she addressed a Los Angeles courtroom for the first time in 13 years of the conservatorship. During the June 2021 court hearing, Spears claimed her conservators allegedly wouldn’t allow her to have her IUD removed.
“He’s such an inspiration and I’m grateful,” Spears wrote about Asghari. “The timing of the end of the conservatorship was perfect for our relationship; we were able to establish a new life together, without limitations, and get married.”
She wrote that the couple took a vacation to Maui and Cancun when she was freed from the conservatorship, and it was during their trip they discovered she was pregnant. “I’d wanted another baby for so many years,” she said. “For a long time, Hesam and I had been eager to start our own family.”
“I have an appreciation for how stable he is,” Spears continued. “I love that he doesn’t drink. He’s a gift from God. And to find out that he and I were about to have a child together made me feel giddy.”
However, the couple revealed in May 2022 that Spears had suffered a miscarriage. They wrote on Instagram: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy. This is a devastating time for any parent.”
“Our love for each other is our strength. We will continue trying to expand our beautiful family,” she said. “We are grateful for all of your support. We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult moment.”
Spears and Asghari were married in June 2022 during an intimate backyard ceremony at her home in California. The wedding ceremony was attended by celebrity guests including Madonna, Selena Gomez, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, and Donatella Versace - who designed Spears’ wedding dress. “Our wedding was a beautiful celebration of how much we’d been through together and how deeply we wished for each other’s happiness,” Spears wrote.
Following their divorce, Asghari took to Instagram to address news of his split from Spears. “After six years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together.
“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.”
Before the memoir’s release on 24 October, Asghari revealed that he had obtained an early copy of the book. In an interview with TMZ, he explained that he wasn’t worried about anything being written in the book that could paint him in a negative light.
“I already read it and I’m very proud of her,” he told the outlet. “She put a lot of work into it, and it was very hard. I’m definitely excited, and I’m extremely proud of her. It was a very tough one [to write].”
Read The Independent’s four-star review of The Woman in Me by Britney Spears.
