Sam Asghari has nothing but positive things to say about his marriage to Britney Spears. 

The former couple, who began dating in 2017 before marrying in June 2022, separated back in August, but Asghari tells PEOPLE exclusively he is grateful for their relationship. 

“It was a blessing to be able to share life with someone for a long time. And people grow apart and people move on,” the actor and model, 29, says simply.

Though Asghari was the one to file for divorce from Spears, 42, he adds that he holds no ill will towards his ex. In fact, he'd much rather celebrate their time together.

“I've always hated people leaving a certain relationship — and at some point they told each other they love each other and they sat at the same table and ate food [together] — so I never understood when people part ways [and] they talk badly about each other,” the actor says. “That's something I'm never going to do because I had nothing but an amazing experience and a great life, and that's always going to be part of my life, a chapter of my life.”

Looking ahead, Asghari is preparing to ring in his 30th birthday on March 3, and he’s focused on furthering his career and maintaining a “healthy lifestyle.”

“I used to think people that were 30 years old were so old when I was in high school. But every person I talk to, the older they get, the more they get to enjoy life because with age comes wisdom and experiences,” he says. “And I think experiences in life are beautiful, so that's something that I'm just super excited to just be fulfilled with.”

His marriage to and subsequent divorce from Spears falls into the category of life experiences, and Asghari plans to just continue to take everything in stride — though for now, the only woman in his life is his Doberman, Porsha.

“I always have the most positive mindset about life. My experiences in life have shaped me into the man I am today. I will continue growing. I come from a place where we celebrate our past,” he says. “I look back fondly. My past was a blessing and beautiful.”

BY CHRISTIAN ALLAIRE

https://www.vogue.com/article/britney-spears-apology-justin-timberlake

February 1, 2024

Women Like Britney Spears Shouldnt Have to Apologize 

“I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about, I am deeply sorry.”

This is how Britney Spears kicked off her Monday morning this week, taking to Instagram to issue an apology for the bombshells she dropped in her poignant 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me. In the since-deleted post, the star went on to praise ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake’s new song, “Selfish”—“soo good,” she wrote—which many took as a sign that Spears’s mea culpa was principally addressed to Timberlake. (Her endorsement of his new track, meanwhile, comes after Spears’s fanbase caused her song “Selfish,” from 2011, to rise on the charts this week—beating Timberlake’s in the process.)

But back to Spears’s apology. It’s no secret that the star’s depiction of Timberlake in her memoir was, well, less than flattering. In the book, Spears revealed that after she became pregnant with his baby, Timberlake urged her to get an abortion. “Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy,” Spears wrote. “He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young… I agreed not to have the baby.” Spears also recalled Timberlake often using a “Blaccent” while they dated, in a misguided attempt to “fit in” with the hip-hop scene that he admired.

Her portrayal of Timberlake may have stung—especially as he started promoting his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was—but it was Britney’s story to tell. And isn’t that the point of a memoir? When the pop star took to Instagram to apologize to him this week, many fans felt disappointed that she felt the need to do so, especially when Timberlake has yet to issue any sort of statement on his end. One X user said it best, writing, “Why apologize? People [are going to] be offended, but it’s your truth—just live it.”

 Women in the public eye like Britney have often been quick to issue public apologies…about virtually everything. Sometimes they are warranted, like when Drew Barrymore came under fire for crossing the picket line during the writer’s strike. At other points, their alleged misdeeds have been blown wildly out of proportion, like when Ariana Grande was caught licking a doughnut and had to hold a televised press conference about it. As if men haven’t done far worse, and said nothing!

 Indeed, there is something deeply gendered about apologizing, in that women seem to do it far more. A 2010 study from the University of Waterloo found that women tend to apologize more than men do because they have a lower threshold for what they consider offensive. Yet this hardly feels like groundbreaking information; no less than Taylor Swift weighed in on this phenomenon during an Eras Tour concert last year, telling the crowd, “A recurring theme in my music is that I love to explain to men how to apologize. I just love the idea of men apologizing.”

 Just yesterday, Timberlake underscored that very male tendency to resist admitting fault during a concert in New York City, telling the audience that he would “like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely fucking nobody,” piggybacking off of Spears’s Instagram statement. This is certainly a different tone than the one Timberlake took back in 2021, when he released a statement saying that he wanted “apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.” (The allusion to Jackson was a reference to her Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction back in 2004, for which Jackson absorbed all the backlash and Timberlake suffered none.)

 Basically, Spears apologizing and Timberlake not apologizing couldn’t be a better example of the need for more men to step. It. Up! Embrace your inner Canadian, gentlemen, and don’t fear the word sorry; it’s okay to say it, we promise! Women like Britney, meanwhile, can take a well-earned break on apologizing; there’s not one thing wrong with sharing your truths and naming the people who have hurt you. In fact, she could stand to be a little louder about it. 

It’s certainly Spears who got the last laugh in this whole debacle, though. Earlier today on Instagram, she posted a retort and backtracked on her apology. “Someone told me someone was talking shit about me on the streets! Do you want to bring it to the court, or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time? I’m not sorry!” 

Don't worry Britney Spears, we got your back... this is a call to arms #BritneySpears #BritneyArmy time to support and buy and stream Liar 💪

Sometime we have some fun in this fanbase and that was us with Selfish by Britney vs Justins Selfish .... but he has taken it too far with yet again after RCA clearly posted up via Britneys instagram an Appoligy to him for us making her song number 1 over his and trolling his comeback track he chose to diss Britney before performing CMAR so now its time to #cancelJustinTimberlake or Timberflake as we like to call him.

Britney has been nothing but sweet to him and did that sorry post the help him and what does he do in return... he does what he is always doing when he needs a boost in sales or media he took a dig at our Britney. so as a proud member of the Britney army... lets fight back and cancel him once and forall for his choice to come at her again (yet again) for no reason at all but to boost his sales.

so as per out tweet below.... Lets Buy and Stream Liar by Britney Spears and let the world see Britney made a response to CMAR years ago and just didn't release it as a single and attack him with it. Don't worry Britney we got you and its time to show Justin you mention her we are not standing by and letting it go unnoticed unless you finally choose to not fake a sorry and take responsitblity for everything and everytime you have gone after her for no reason... and Lance we are watching so back off.

It was just some fun until his recent comment. time to step up @britneyspears #britneyarmy, let's get LIAR by Britney Spears to number 1 & publicly shame jt for his recent comment to Britney#buy and #stream Liar by Britney from her glory album.#britneyspears #britney #Liar pic.twitter.com/LIy85mPJkp

— mybritneyinsider.com (@TeamMBI) February 1, 2024