Pop star Britney Spears said she was “a little shocked” as she spoke out for the first time since she separated from her husband Sam Asghari after just over a year of marriage. “As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together,” Spears wrote in an Instagram post late Friday, alongside a video of her dancing. She added that six years was “a long time to be with someone so, I’m a little shocked.” However, Spears, 41, said she was “not here to explain why because it’s honestly nobody’s business,” adding that “in some sort of telepathic way I have been receiving so many messages that melt my heart from friends and I thank you.” News of the split broke Thursday, when a source familiar with the situation told NBC News that Asghari, 29, had filed for divorce and had moved out of the home the couple shared and into his own place. A second source confirmed that they were “separated and it’s best for Britney.”In her Instagram post, Spears said she was “actually doing pretty damn good,” and would “be as strong as I can and do my best.” She added that she had “been playing it strong for way too long and my Instagram may seem perfect but it’s far from reality and I think we all know that.”“I would love to show my emotions and tears on how I really feel but for some reason I’ve always had to hide my weaknesses,” she said. Spears met Asghari, an actor and model, on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016 and the pair began dating shortly afterward. The couple announced their engagement in September 2021 and held a star-studded ceremony inside Spears’ Los Angeles home in June 2022.The couple have been through a tumultuous few years as Spears fought to terminate the conservatorship her family placed her under in 2008. Spears had no legal authority over her own medical decisions or contracts, including a legal marriage, until the conservatorship was terminated in 2021.Spears also revealed during her testimony requesting the termination that she did not have the authority to remove her intrauterine device, a contraceptive, while she was under the conservatorship. She told the court in 2021 that she wanted to have more children and that she was unable to because of her legal limitations.She and Asghari revealed in May last year that she had suffered a miscarriage. Spears said on Instagram at the time that the couple had lost their “miracle baby.”“This is a devastating time for any parent,” her statement said. “Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along, however we were overly excited to share our good news.”Henry Austin is a London-based editor for NBC News Digital.Diana Dasrath and Doha Madani contributed.
