Sam Asghari has responded after Britney Spears shared emotional reflections about their past marriage on social media.

Speaking through his rep, Asghari told PEOPLE, “Our marriage was very real to me. It may have been short, but we were together for seven years. I was in love with her, will always have love for her, and wish her the best always.”

His words came shortly after Spears, 43, opened up on Instagram about her experience during their relationship, describing those years as “the hardest years of my life.” 

In her post, the pop icon claimed she was “cut off from calling or texting” her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline. 

She added that while she and Asghari were married, it “almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it,” admitting that denial and tears became her way of coping.

Asghari, 31, has previously acknowledged both the challenges and benefits of being in such a public relationship. 

In a June 2025 interview with Page Six, he reflected, “I can’t sit here and lie and say, ‘It wasn’t good for me.’ When you’re in such a public relationship … it sort of gave me that platform for who I am.” 

He also noted that their story began as co-workers, meeting on the set of Spears’ 2016 music video for Slumber Party, where he played her love interest.

The pair married in June 2022 but their relationship came to an end when Asghari filed for divorce on Aug. 16, 2023, after 14 months of marriage. 

Their split was finalized in May 2024.

Now, as both continue to move forward separately, Asghari’s recent statement makes clear that despite their struggles, he still carries respect and affection for the singer.