On Sunday, Britney Spears announced her engagement to her long-time boyfriend, the 27-year-old actor and fitness trainer Sam Asghari in a colorful Instagram post displaying the four-carat diamond engagement ring engraved with the word “lioness,” Asghari’s nickname for Britney. The announcement was made public just days after Britney seems to be making headway in her legal battle with her father to end the conservatorship that has controlled her personal life, professional life and finances for 13 years.
In the video post, the newly engaged couples who met in 2016 on the set of the “Slumber Party” music video were all lovey-dovey as Britney winked and kissed a smiling Asghari on the cheek before answering “yes” when he asked if she liked her engagement ring. On his Instagram, Asghari also posted his sweetheart’s photo showing her ring finger to the camera.
Mr. Asghari is an Iranian-born actor who migrated to the US when he was 12 to live with his father, a truck driver. Sam Asghari has worked on several TV shows and movies including the Showtime series “Black Monday.”
The engagement announcement came just days after the singer’s father, James P. Spears, filed to terminate her conservatorship through his lawyers. The lawyers wrote, “If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes that she should get that chance.”
During a court proceeding in June, Britney told a judge during an impassioned plea to end her conservatorship that she wanted to marry Asghari and have a family with him. She continued that she had been drugged, forced to work and that the terms of the conservatorship prevented her from removing an intrauterine device for birth control or even go on a drive with her beau.
“I just want my life back,” Britney shared. “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I don’t feel like I can live a full life.”
Although legally, Britney can get married, the terms of the conservatorship make it compulsory for her conservator to approve the union as with other major life decisions. The “Overprotected” singer first filed in July to have her father removed from his role as her conservator. The filing became a highly contested legal battle as Mr. Spears pushed back against the request. However, in a recent turn of events, he announced that he would step down from his role and cooperate with the courts to assure “an orderly transition to a new conservator.” As a result, the new case has been adjourned to Sept. 29 for the next hearing.
Before the recent engagement, 39-year-old Britney Spears has tied the knot twice before. In 2004, she married her childhood friend Jason Alexander for 55 hours before the marriage was annulled. In the same years, she walked down the altar with Kevin Federline, a backup dancer, actor and rapper; they have two sons aged 14 and 15. Then, in 2006, Britney filed for divorce.
