Pop singer Britney Spears is to marry for a third time after announcing her engagement to long-term boyfriend Sam Asghari
How did she announce it?
On Instagram, of course, with a video of her modelling the ring. At the time of writing the post had had just shy of three million likes, so the news has gone down well across social media. The ring – a floating solitaire setting enhanced by pave details on the bridge, if you know your upmarket bling – was made by Roman Malayev of New York-based Forever Diamonds NY. It has the word ‘Lioness’ engraved on the inside of the band, that being Asghari’s nickname for his future wife. On his own Instagram page he posted a close-up shot of the four carat diamond sparkler itself – on a finger which Spears has helpfully raised to the camera in a cheeky and defiant gesture.
Why defiant?
Because until recently the 39-year-old had been banned from re-marrying and even from having children. This was done under the terms of her ‘conservatorship’.
Her what?
It’s a long-standing legal arrangement which is essentially a form of guardianship. It means Spears had to cede control of her business affairs, her estate (estimated to be worth over £40 million) and aspects of her personal life to her father, Jamie Spears. It was put in place in 2008 during a period of concern for the state of her mental health, and continued until 2021, when Spears went to court to try to have it altered or over-turned. Spears was refusing to perform live again until it was lifted, and during the court hearing she referred to the arrangement itself as ‘abusive’. As her supporters rallied to her defence, the hashtags #FreeBritney and #BritneySpeaks began trending on social media.
Did she win?
Pretty much. Earlier this month, Jamie Spears filed a petition to end his conservatorship, paving the way for his daughter’s nuptials. Commenting on the engagement, Asghari’s manager Brandon Cohen said: “The couple made their long-standing relationship official today and are deeply touched by the support, dedication and love expressed to them.”
What does the blushing bride say?
Alongside the Instagram picture of her showing off the ring Spears wrote: ‘I can’t ******* believe it’.
And who is Sam Asghari?
He was born in Tehran and emigrated to the US when he was 12. He currently works as a fitness instructor in Los Angeles and was a decent footballer in his day, playing for a local college side. Now 27, he met Spears after a stint as a model landed him a bit part in the video for her 2016 release, Slumber Party. “She said ‘Hi, I’m Britney,’ and I said ‘I’m sorry. What’s your name again?’,” he told Men’s Health in an interview in 2018. “I tried to be funny. I don’t think anybody got it.” The pair swapped numbers and bonded over a plate of sushi.
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