Sam Asghari says his marriage to Britney Spears felt 'very real' to him

Sam Asghari says his marriage to Britney Spears felt "very real" to him.

The 31-year-old model and actor - who was married to the Toxic hitmaker from June 2022 until their split in July 2023 - has responded after his ex-wife claimed their relationship was a "fake distraction" from being "cut off" from her sons.

This week, Britney, 43, reflected on her sons Jayden James, 18, and Sean Preston, moving to Hawaii with their father Kevin Federline in 2023, while her relationship with them was strained before that point.

In a statement to PEOPLE magazine, Sam said: "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."

Britney has claimed their marriage was a way for her to distract herself from her grief.

She wrote on Instagram: "We’re just people so fragile and human 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 its weird me and Sam were married but it almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it …”