Britney Spears’ ex-husband Sam Asghari is opening up about her recent DUI arrest — and offering her his public support.
Asghari, 32, appeared on the Wednesday, March 11, episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored to discuss the war in his native Iran. At the end of the interview, however, host Piers Morgan asked the actor to weigh in on Spears, 44, following her March 4 arrest.
“I mean, coming from the country of Iran and seeing women being oppressed, that’s something that stuck [out] to me, and that was a value that carried my whole entire life,” Asghari said. “And, you know, in a way, not comparing the situation whatsoever, she was also oppressed by many people that took advantage of her and sort of had the same experience as women do in Iran.”
Asghari, who described himself as “an advocate for women’s rights [who] wants freedom of speech and wants freedom for everybody,” added that “it was hard to believe and hard to see that someone in America was being oppressed.”
He went on to note that he still has nothing but respect for Spears following their divorce, saying, “I admire her very well. I’ve seen what she struggles with. Even though we were married for one year, we were together for seven years, so my values for her, my respect for her, always stands.”
Asghari concluded by asking the public to give Spears space.
“I’m a strong believer that she needs her privacy, and everybody makes mistakes,” he explained. “If she made a mistake, I really think she’s a strong woman and she could come back from this.”
Asghari’s remarks come days after he dodged a question about Spears’ arrest while speaking to NewsNation on March 5. While the topic of discussion was the war, a question about Spears slipped into the mix. Asghari attempted to keep the conversation on current affairs before noting that he “cannot skip the past” and celebrates his past experiences.
“I think everybody makes mistakes and everybody deserves privacy,” he added. “If we learn from history, we have to understand the press could hurt somebody recovering from a situation like this.”
Spears was arrested on March 4 near her home in Ventura County, California, and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence after she was seen “driving erratically at a high rate of speed,” according to the California Highway Patrol.
Police released the Grammy winner from jail the following morning, but the incident is still under investigation as officials await the results of a blood test that Spears took at a nearby hospital while in custody.
After the arrest made headlines, a spokesperson for Spears called her arrest “completely inexcusable” in a statement to Us Weekly.
“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,” the rep said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
Spears and Asghari began dating after meeting on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016. They tied the knot in June 2022 but split one year later. Their divorce was finalized in May 2024.
