Sam Asghari is sharing his thoughts on Britney Spears’ recent arrest.
The model and fitness trainer, 32, was asked about his ex‑wife’s arrest during an interview with Fox News on Friday, March 6, and said that people make mistakes.
“When it comes to people making mistakes, I understand that,” the Tehran‑born Asghari said, noting that his focus has largely been on the ongoing Iran war.
He continued, “I think that everyone deserves privacy. And I hope the press has learned from the past, that they give her the privacy that she needs.”
The “Toxic” singer, 44, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in Ventura, Calif., on the evening of March 4. She was released and returned home early the next morning.
According to a press release from California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Ryan Ayers, Spears’ black BMW 430i “was reported to the CHP’s Ventura Communications Center for driving erratically at a high rate of speed” before being pulled over.
After the stop, Spears showed signs of “impairment and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests” before she was arrested for what Ayers said appeared to be “driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol.” She was booked, and the CHP said the incident remains under investigation with chemical test results pending.
A representative for Spears told PEOPLE the arrest was “an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.”
“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” the rep said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
“Her boys are going to be spending time with her,” they added. “Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well‑being.”
Spears and Asghari began dating in 2016 and married in June 2022 before separating in July 2023. A judge with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County finalized their divorce in May 2024.
“The divorce was amicable and the prenup was not challenged,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. “Britney is continuing to flex her freedom and is moving on.”
Months after their split, Asghari told PEOPLE he viewed his time with Spears as “a blessing.”
“It was a blessing to be able to share life with someone for a long time. And people grow apart and people move on,” he said in March 2024. “I’ve always hated when people leave a relationship — after telling each other they love each other and sharing a life — and then talk badly about each other.”
He added, “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.”
Shortly after Spears was released from custody, a source told PEOPLE she wants “nothing more than being around friends.”
“She lives a very lonely life and it’s not helping her emotionally. She craves connections,” the source said, noting that “people come in and out of her life” and she “really struggles with maintaining friendships.”
