Sam Asghari says marriage to Britney Spears was ‘a blessing’

Britney Spears' third marriage was short and, it turns out, sweet — according to ex Sam Asghari.

The actor and model, who turns 30 Sunday, opened up to People about the "blessing" of their union, which ended with Asghari filing for divorce in August. They'd tied the knot in June 2022.

"It was a blessing to be able to share life with someone for a long time. And people grow apart and people move on," said Asghari, who started dating the "Stronger" singer, 42, in 2017.

Noting he "will continue growing," Asghari said he maintains the "most positive mindset about life" as his "experiences in life have shaped me into the main I am today.

"I come from a place where we celebrate our past," he told People. "I look back fondly. My past was a blessing and beautiful."

Spears referred to Asghari as "a gift from God" in her explosive memoir, "The Woman In Me," published in October.

Asghari subsequently said "that made me smile.

"I'm freaking proud of her," he told paparazzi at the time. "And I hope she takes over the world."

In late December, PETA — which earlier in 2023 had criticized Spears for purchasing a new pup rather than adopting one — teamed up with Asghari to release ads that seemed to make light of the short marriage.

"Some loves last. Never buy dogs," read one of the ads featuring Asghari, who shared five dogs with the "Toxic" singer.

Despite speculation that his PETA ad was a not-so-subtle dig at the pop star, Asghari insisted there's no bad blood between him and Spears.

"I've always hated people leaving a certain relationship — and at some point they told each other they love each other and they sat at the same table and ate food [together] — so I never understood when people part ways [and] they talk badly about each other," he said.

"That's something I'm never going to do because I had nothing but an amazing experience and a great life, and that's always going to be part of my life, a chapter of my life."