Sam Asghari's relationship with Britney Spears was always going to be far from ordinary, especially considering Spears' status as one of the most famous women in the world. On top of that, the pop star was under a conservatorship for about 13 years — a situation Asghari says felt "strange" for him before their split in 2023.

In a candid interview on The Viall Files released Wednesday (Feb. 12), Asghari opened up about his relationship with Spears, whom he began dating in 2016 after starring in her “Slumber Party” music video. He also discussed how her legal situation affected him as her partner. "She was under the conservatorship, and that was very strange for me to deal with,” Asghari explained to host Nick Viall. “I got hit with that at the beginning."

Asghari shared that he was not initially informed directly by Spears but rather learned about the conservatorship through a third party. "Somebody called me and said, ‘Oh, just so you know, this is this. Make sure you’re obeying by our rules,’" he recalled.

Wanting to be as supportive as possible, Asghari added that he refrained from looking up news about the situation. Instead, he tried to understand the reasons behind the conservatorship. "You don’t get much to say, especially if you’re just a boyfriend or someone that’s just there," he admitted. "Maybe I was afraid they were going to make me not see her. So you have to be gentle and provide as much support as you can."

Spears was placed under a conservatorship in 2008, with her father, Jamie Spears, being granted legal control over her life and career. After a lengthy, fan-driven "Free Britney" movement, Spears finally succeeded in having the conservatorship terminated in November 2021, just months before she and Asghari got engaged.

Reflecting on their engagement, Asghari said it felt "overdue." “We wanted to get married way before, and because of everything and the situation, we had to wait,” he recalled. "I was holding her hand when she was speaking to the judge and talking about how she wanted the conservatorship to end. The second that happened, that’s when it was the right time to propose.”

The couple married in a glamorous ceremony in Los Angeles in June 2022, but the relationship ended the following year, with Asghari filing for divorce in August. Despite the split, Asghari expressed gratitude for their time together. "I always say, even though it’s over now, I’m never sad it’s over," he said. "I’m grateful it even happened."

When asked about the viral video Spears posted dancing with knives shortly after their breakup — which led to a welfare check by police, later revealed to be with fake knives — Asghari said he wasn’t troubled by it. "I’m not someone that’s [like], ‘Let me take your phone from you and not allow you to do anything and restrict you from posting your own content,'" he stated.

“She’s a genius artist,” Asghari added. “What’s in her head is gold, and it’s what made her who she is.”