Octavia Spencer is on Britney Spears’ side following the breakup of the singer and her husband of more than a year, Sam Asghari. Asghari reportedly filed for divorce on Aug. 16, citing irreconcilable differences. Though married for just 14 months, the former lovebirds had been together for over six years.
The “…Baby One More Time” artist, 41, announced her engagement to the 29-year-old in September 2021. The big news came two months ahead of a judge’s decision to terminate her controversial 13-year conservatorship, making way for Spears to regain control over her personal and financial decisions.
At the time, countless fans celebrated the joyous moment. Spencer, however, issued a stern but practical word of advice in the comments on Spears’ Instagram post: “Make him sign a prenup.” The “Ma” star was met with backlash, which prompted her to issue an apology to the couple.
“Y’all, a few days ago Sam and Britney announced their engagement and me being me I made a joke. My intention was to make them laugh not cause pain,” said Spencer in her own Instagram post.
She added, “I’ve reached out to this lovely couple privately to apologize and now want to restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of.” Asghari responded, writing that there were no hard feelings. The couple was married with an iron-clad prenup in place in June 2022.
Now that a divorce is in the works, several reports have claimed that Asghari accused the pop star of infidelity, alleging that she was caught on camera in a “compromising” position with a male staff member.
Additionally, Page Six reported that the Iranian-American model is “attempting to negotiate concessions beyond his prenup and threatening to go public with extraordinarily embarrassing information about Britney unless he gets paid.” In his filing, the actor is reportedly seeking spousal support and requesting that the mother of two pay his legal fees.
Spencer seemingly showed her support for Spears when she commented, “Extortion is illegal,” on a post about the allegations against the singer’s soon-to-be ex-husband. This time around, the Oscar winner’s comment was met with resounding approval.
“He must want to experience prison,” wrote one person.
“@octaviaspencer and you had to apologize after saying something about her getting a pre-nup. We all knew you were right,” read another comment.
“And we don’t care what he releases. He is an opportunist and we don’t care about that type,” wrote a third user.
A fourth person commented, “He’s taking advantage of someone with mental health issues for a payday.”
A rep for Asghari told People that claims their client is challenging the prenup or planning to extort his ex are false. Despite rumors, Spencer has never been married nor does she have children.