Britney Spears suggested she only walked down the aisle with Sam Asghari in hopes that it would raise her spirits.
In a candid new Instagram post, the Princess of Pop, 43, recalled marrying the actor, 31, in June 2022 while estranged from her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, who notably did not attend the wedding.
“We’re just people so fragile and human,” Spears wrote on Sunday, August 24, alongside a nude photo of herself on vacation with her back turned to the camera. “The hardest years of my life were my two sons gone for those 3 years … I was cut off from calling or texting and I remember in shock my secret to survival was denial and a lot of tears.”
She continued, “Its weird me and Sam were married but it almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it.”
Britany Spears Finalizes Sam Asghari Divorce on 43rd Birthday
The Grammy winner went on to assure her 41.9 million followers that she is now “healing” from the drama.
Spears has had a rocky relationship with her sons in recent years, though she reunited with Jayden, 18, in November 2024 after he moved back to California. (Preston, 19, still lives in Hawaii with the teens’ father, Kevin Federline, and has not publicly reconciled with his mother.)
“Jayden reached out to Britney and initiated conversation,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “He is open to mending the relationship with his mom and seeing where things go. It’s going to take time and will not be an immediate reconciliation.”
The source shared that Spears was “very excited” to hear from Jayden two years after they publicly clashed over him participating in a TV interview about their estrangement.
“She hopes they can continue to spend time together and hopes Preston also comes around,” the source told Us. “She has had a hole in her heart from not seeing her boys. Jayden reaching out means everything to her.”
Britney Spears’ Ups and Downs Over the Years
During Jayden’s September 2022 sit-down with Britain’s ITV, he explained his decision to skip his mom’s wedding to Asghari.
“At the time, it just wasn’t a good time to go,” he said. “I’m not saying that I’m not happy for her. I’m really happy for them, but she didn’t invite the whole family, and then if it was just going to be me and Preston, I just don’t see how that situation would have ended on good terms.”
None of Spears’ relatives ended up attending the ceremony at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, after feuding over her 13-year conservatorship, which a judge terminated in November 2021. Instead, the guest list included the “Toxic” singer’s longtime friends Paris Hilton and Madonna as well as Drew Barrymore, Selena Gomez and more celebrities.
Just a year later, in August 2023, Asghari filed for divorce from Spears.
