Sam Asghari seeks divorce from Britney Spears 14 months after wedding

Sam Asghari, the husband of pop superstar Britney Spears, is seeking to divorce the singer he married last year after she was released from a legal conservatorship.

The 29-year-old Asghari cited "irreconcilable differences" in a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. He is seeking spousal support and payment of legal fees by Spears.

In a statement on Instagram, Asghari said he and Spears "have decided to end our journey together".

"We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always," he added. "Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful."

Representatives for Spears did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Asghari and Spears, 41, wed 14 months ago in June 2022 after dating for nearly six years.

The wedding took place months after a judge ended a conservatorship that had controlled the singer's personal life and finances for 13 years. During court proceedings, Spears said she longed to get married and start a new family without any restrictions.

The conservatorship had been set up and overseen by the singer's father, Jamie Spears, after she had a public breakdown in 2007 and was hospitalised for undisclosed mental health issues.

The marriage is the third for Spears, and the first for Asghari. She married Jason Alexander, a childhood friend, in a surprise ceremony in Las Vegas in 2004 but the marriage was annulled shortly after. Nine months later, she married dancer Kevin Federline, with whom she has two children. That marriage ended in divorce in 2007.

The Grammy-winning Spears is known for pop music hits such as Baby One More Time, Oops! ... I Did It Again and Stronger.

Iranian-born Asghari is a personal trainer and actor who has appeared on the Showtime series Black Monday.