By Mark Gray
9:30am PDT, Aug 27, 2023
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Britney Spears and Sam Asghari's marriage was no fairytale. A new TMZ report alleges that the pop star was once so seriously injured during a blowup with her now-ex in London that she sought medical treatment.
In the webloid's "Britney Spears: Divorce & Despair" documentary, TMZ founder Harvey Levin alleges, "She and Sam were going at it in a hotel room, and it got so bad [that] she tripped and hit the coffee table, cracking her head open." She allegedly needed stitches.
That wasn't the only time things turned ugly between the pop star and the actor. According to the documentary, Britney's alleged "volatility" became "too much" for Sam, which eventually prompted him to file for divorce…
Click through to find out what Britney's divorce really means for her mental health, public image, finances and more…
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On Aug. 16, Britney Spears's husband of 14 months, Sam Asghari, filed for divorce from the pop star after a "nuclear argument" in which he confronted her over unconfirmed rumors she'd been unfaithful. The split, though, shouldn't be especially surprising, as reports have long said the marriage was on thin ice and Sam was becoming increasingly fed up with his wife's allegedly erratic behavior. In fact, he moved out of their mansion and estate — the same one where they married last year — prior to the filing. In Sam's divorce paperwork, he cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. He's now reportedly planning to challenge the ironclad prenup he signed before they tied the knot and threatening to release "extraordinarily embarrassing" information about Britney if he doesn't get what he wants.
The end of the marriage changes Britney's life in a multitude of ways, and friends are already concerned about the fallout.
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Based on his divorce paperwork, Sam Asghari is planning to challenge the prenuptial agreement he signed before marrying Britney Spears — which is said to "favor" the singer. "[Sam] has yet to determine the full nature and extent of the separate property assets and obligations of each party," the docs said, according to TMZ. "There are various items of community and quasi-community assets and debts, the full nature and extent of which are unknown to [Sam] at this time." While it's highly improbable that a judge would throw out the prenup, a drawn-out legal battle could damage Britney's public image.
A source told Page Six that Sam is "attempting to negotiate concessions beyond his prenup and threatening to go public with extraordinarily embarrassing information about Britney unless he gets paid." Getting the most out of this divorce is "what Sam is focused on," the source said. (Insiders close to Britney have compared Sam's alleged machinations to "blackmail.") TMZ suggested the most plausible ending: Britney will likely write Sam a check to be done with it.
On Aug. 18, TMZ reported that Sam's challenges might be a lost cause. "Sam gets no payout in the event of divorce," the website reported. "In addition, the prenup precludes him from getting spousal support." Sam will get to keep his cars and gifts that the pop star gave him, but that's it. There's also an "extensive confidentiality clause" in the prenup prohibiting Sam from talking about his relationship with Britney. In the unlikely scenario in which Sam successfully challenges the prenup, the confidentiality clause would no longer be enforceable. So there's a belief the Sam and Brit will settle, and he'll get a few hundred thousand dollars to stay mum, TMZ theorized. Part of that settlement will almost certainly include a confidentiality clause that will require him to return any money he gets if he violates the NDA.
Us Weekly, meanwhile, reported that the prenup says Sam gets "$1 million per every two years" of their marriage, with a cap at $10 million after 15 years.
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Sam Asghari reportedly believes his estranged wife, Britney Spears, cheated on him with a member of her household staff, and he's allegedly seen video of her in a compromising position with one of her employees. According to TMZ, Sam believes Britney asked at least one male staffer to shoot a video of her in her birthday suit, which crossed a major line as far as the actor is concerned. "Britney's in a fragile and hyper-sexualized state, and it's contributed to her dangerous decision-making," TMZ reported, adding that the alleged inappropriate behavior was the last straw for Sam.
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Britney Spears is losing her No. 1 supporter amid her divorce from Sam Asghari. The model-turned-actor was an incredibly large part of Britney's support system, particularly given her frayed relationship with her family. Sam is now fully out of Brit's life and "there's no family around her to pick up the pieces," TMZ reported. Although the pop star and her mom appeared to reconcile in May, that relationship has again soured — they're not currently speaking to one another.
Britney also doesn't communicate with her siblings, her father or her children, who recently moved to Hawaii. "She has one confidant, [her manager] Cade [Hudson]. Then there's her security team, and after that her support system falls off a cliff," a source told TMZ.
An insider told Page Six, meanwhile, that Britney is "isolated, especially now without Sam." Still, she's "hanging in there, all things considered."
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While Britney Spears often praised her husband publicly, things seemed to be much different behind closed doors. An Aug. 17 report claimed she "got physical" with Sam Asghari over the years and even once gave him a black eye while he slept. TMZ reported security often had to step in during physical altercations. During one alleged instance in early 2023, security wasn't present to stop Britney from punching Sam, who reportedly did not respond physically.
Interestingly, Sam was photographed with a black eye and bite marks on his forearm in January, but he downplayed the injuries and asked paparazzi to refrain from snapping him on that particular day. The report suggests that Sam was nervous about things getting worse, as Britney allegedly keeps knives in her bedroom. A source said Britney tends to "fly off the handle" at the smallest slight, and that terrified Sam.
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Sam Asghari broke his silence about the divorce on Aug. 17: "After 6 years of love and commitment to each other, my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. We will hold on to 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," he added.
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Judging by her social media, Britney Spears is remaining carefree in regards to her divorce from Sam Asghari. On Aug. 16 — just as the news broke — the "Hold Me Closer" singer took to Instagram to share a photo of herself riding a horse. "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," she captioned the snap. (The picture, by the way, was taken in July during a vacation she took with Sam.)
The following day, Britney cryptically wrote on Instagram, "Sometimes you see more with your eyes closed!!!"
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Maybe Britney Spears' family was never totally on board with Sam Asghari in the first place. After the couple's breakup made headlines, Brit's younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, "liked" an Instagram post announcing the split. Meanwhile, an Instagram account purportedly belonging to Britney's brother, Bryan Spears, posted, "As said before, Sam is a scam."
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Britney Spears has turned to a familiar face in her divorce: attorney Laura Wasser. Page Six reported that Britney hired the family law attorney — who's worked with some of Hollywood's biggest stars on their splits including Kim Kardashian, Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Kris Jenner, Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds, Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Stevie Wonder, Maria Shriver and more — as her marriage to Sam Asghari crumbled. The "Toxic" singer also hired Laura in 2008 when she was fighting her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, for custody of their two sons, Sean Preston, now 17, and Jayden, now 16.
