Sam Asghari is about to star on 'The Traitors', the hit show where you don't know who to trust – or who's out to get you.
But he's effectively been preparing for such a situation for years, living under the full glare of the celebrity spotlight with his ex-wife Britney Spears.
"I've learned a lot in the past five or six years being exposed to that (darker) side of Hollywood. And it's quite a blessing," he tells Page Six in an exclusive interview.
Sam Asghari – pictured at the Godrey Hotel in Hollywood – says he got a quick crash course in Hollywood thanks to his romance with Britney Spears. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple The couple wed in June 2022 at their Thousand Oaks home with guests including Madonna, Drew Barrymore, and Donatella Versace. Kevin Ostajewski/Shutterstock
He says of his relationship with the pop singer, "It was a quick crash course in Hollywood and it sort of helped me. I figured it would be a good tool to actually help me in the Traitors game as well.
"You have to be careful in every industry," he adds, "Not just in Hollywood. You have to always be careful and protect yourself and protect the people that you love."
Indeed, Asghari, 30, supported Spears during the "Free Britney" movement as she fought to be released from the shackles of a harsh court-mandated conservatorship that controlled every aspect of her life for 13 years and had been spearheaded by her father, Jamie Spears.
Asghari says he was absolutely in love with Spears. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple
"It's a human rights movement", he wrote online the night before the conservatorship was finally dissolved in November 2021.
"I think it's the bare minimum you can do as a partner, to be a backbone to someone and to be their biggest supporter, biggest cheerleader, the biggest…the biggest everything," he tells us.
While Asghari, who split from Spears in 2023, has spent the past year focusing on work, his ex has continued to spark fears among her legions of fans with her chaotic Instagram videos, many of which feature her dancing erratically while scantily-clad.
Asghari supported Spears during the 'Free Britney' campaign. @samasghari/Instagram
On her 43rd birthday on December 2 – the same day the exes were both declared legally single by a Los Angeles court – the "Hit Me Baby…One More Time" star claimed she was, in fact, turning five years old and that she was moving to Mexico. This was later denied by her rep.
All of this begs the question – does Asghari still talk to Spears, and will he continue to stand by her?
"I just wish her the best," he replies, "I think that the number one factor of a partner is to be there for one another, no matter what."
Spears has sparked concern among fans for her chaotic Instagram posts. @britneyspears/Instagram
And although the relationship is firmly in the past, he stresses, "There's never ever a need to take advantage of anybody.
"We all go through this life and we go through different chapters and you meet people along the way and they are a big part of your life. You're just always thankful for every moment that you spent with people in the past."
In fact, he says, what really grinds his gears is when people split and start slinging mud at each other.
Asghari was recently declared legally single from Spears as part of their divorce proceedings. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple He is now working on his acting career and wants to work further with Taylor Sheridan. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple
"They once sat at the same table and ate together, and they once called each other the love of their lives. I never liked that behavior. And it's something that I never wanted to repeat myself. So I'm so glad that that has never been me."
The most important thing, he says, is to "move forward" and "always be thankful for everything that has ever happened to you."
As for Spears' future, whether it's making new music or plans to film a movie version of her memoir with "Wicked" director Jon Chu, alongside rebuilding her relationship with her sons Jayden, 18, and Preston, 19, her ex says, "I would love for her to do whatever makes her happy."
Asghari also admits he would love have kids and be a girl dad after growing up with three sisters. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple He admits the split from Spears was "very difficult" and "took some time to move on." Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple
Despite what anyone may say, he was "absolutely" in love with Spears.
"I think it's very common for people to separate…but people like to put celebrities on a pedestal," Asghari – who was photographed at the Godfrey Hotel in Hollywood for Page Six – says.
Citing Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as the "biggest celebrities dating right now", he observes, "They are really just like everybody else. You know, they like to go on fancy dates, they like to be at home on cozy dates.
"It's just in a public way, which, you know, sometimes makes it difficult for them. But I think it's hilarious reading about other celebrities because I know when they wrote stories about me, how ridiculous and untrue or true it was."
He is now dating realtor Brooke Irvine. samasghari/Instagram The couple spent the festive season lapping up the sunshine -and made their romance official on Instagram. samasghari/Instagram
With his brooding good looks, Asghari, who has worked as a model and a fitness trainer, won over Spears when they met on the set of her video for 'Slumber Party' in 2016.
He played a hot guy in a suit who watched as she erotically lapped up spilled milk. They exchanged numbers, and Spears called him months later after finding his number in her bag.
"It was the humbleness that attracted me," he told GQ in 2022, "She was very humble and she has a beautiful soul."
Asghari says he would like to keep their romance private. samasghari/Instagram
In her best-selling memoir, "The Woman in Me", Spears said she "immediately" knew she wanted Asghari in her life, and was "instantly smitten" with him.
Just two weeks into their relationship, tabloids claimed Asghari was already cheating on his new love, but they ignored the negative press, according to the star.
"The chemistry with us in the beginning was insane," she said. "We couldn't keep our hands off each other. He called me his lioness."
The pair wed in a fairytale ceremony at their Thousand Oaks, Calif., home on June 9, 2022, with Madonna, Donatella Versace, and Drew Barrymore in attendance.
He will be seen on "The Traitors" on NBC which starts on January 8. NBC
But a little over a year later, Asghari filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences," with the filing listing July 28, 2023 as their date of separation.
"It's always very difficult when you have to adjust and completely go away from something and completely redirect," he admits. "So of course it was difficult and it took some time to move on. But it is life, you know, life comes at you fast and you have to deal with it… and it tells you about your character (you can) make that situation either easier or hard."
Asghari, who moved with his family from his native Iran to LA in the summer of 2006 when he was 12, says his three sisters taught him how to respect and care for women.
He said that even though they are split, there is no reason to be mean about Spears. samasghari/Instagram
"I think it is very important to be raised around women. Being raised around three sisters gave me the delicacy of how to deal with certain issues and certain situations." He would, indeed, love kids and would love to be a "girl dad".
Over the past few months, Asghari has been seen out and about with realtor Brooke Irvine.
The couple is even 'Instagram official' now after Irvine last month posted photos of Asghari carrying her on their tropical vacation on her private account.
For Asghari, however, it's still too soon to talk about any new relationship.
He will join the likes of "Real Housewives of New York" star Dorinda Medley, "Selling Sunset's" Chrishell Stause, and reality TV supervillain Tom Sandoval on "The Traitors." NBC
"Because of how public my last relationship was. And I'm not saying it was a bad thing to be public or not, it's just sometimes you can't help it. I've been really trying to stay private when it comes to my personal life," he says.
For now, he is concentrating on his acting career; he has already had a role in Taylor Sheridan's "Lioness" and would love to work with the "Yellowstone" creator again.
First, on January 8, he will join the likes of "Real Housewives of New York" star Dorinda Medley, "Selling Sunset's" Chrishell Stause, and reality TV supervillain Tom Sandoval on "The Traitors."
Asghari says he is "thankful" for his marriage to Spears. Photo Copyright John Chapple / instagram: @JohnChapple
The NBC show is a spin-off from the hit UK show and is hosted by Alan Cumming.
In it, a group of strangers are taken to a Scottish castle, and at the outset three of them are secretly appointed 'traitors' who gather every night to choose which of the other contestants they want to remove from the game.
Will people now truly learn who Asghari is away from the headlines?
Spears has recently reunited with her sons – seen here with Jayden. britneyspears/Instagram
"I'm going to always try to stay true to myself and have a good time. So I hope the audience, the fans of Traitors already or people that haven't watched the show, are able to enjoy it," he says.
"I'm a very open-hearted person and I'm a very easygoing person… I'm simple, I like to be positive. I like to walk my dog, so it's really not that hard to get to know me!
"I figured I would go on the show, have a good time and have fun, and let people get to know me. So I think it was accomplished."
Is Britney Spears & Lynne Spears Working On Their Relationship? ( Photo Credit â€" Instagram ) 
