Britney Spears Says Marriage to Sam Asghari Felt Like a 'Distraction' From Being Cut Off From Her Sons

Britney Spears is opening up about the toll of being separated from her two sons and how her marriage to Sam Asghari fit into that period of her life.

In a lengthy Instagram post on August 24, Spears, 43, described her hardest years as the time she was cut off from Sean and Jayden. "The hardest years of my life were my two sons gone for those 3 years," she wrote, recalling that she could not call or text them. She said denial and tears kept her going.

Spears admitted her marriage felt like a cover for the pain. "It almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it," she explained. She added that in recent months she has begun to heal, writing, "I'm hungry again like a child or baby ... it's like it's my first time ever eating in my life."

Strained Family Ties

The singer, who shares her sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline, has spoken before about her struggles to reconnect with them after years under a conservatorship that lasted from 2008 until 2021. She said she is grateful for small signs of healing. "Today I thank Jesus for food ... Owning my body ... and letting them REALLY know where I'm from," she wrote in the same post.

Spears later shifted tone, joking about eating "cookies and cream ice cream" and calling it "so silly and embarrassing."

That day she also described herself as "a struggling artist" who is still learning to balance emotion with reason. "Self love and confidence is something I'm seeking," she admitted. She told followers that embarrassment sometimes helps her "remember who u are."

Spears and Federline divorced in 2006. After her public breakdown in 2008, Federline was granted sole custody, while Spears was allowed limited visits. She and her sons have since tried to rebuild their relationship.

Last year Spears shared that she reunited with Jayden over Christmas, writing, "Mine forever!!! ... He's mine I hadn't seen him in 2 and half years or maybe 3!!!" She said his maturity left her in shock and described him as a "miracle and genius."

Sam Asghari Weighs In

Her most recent ex-husband has also spoken publicly. Asghari, who split from Spears last year, made headlines this month when asked about Kevin Federline's upcoming memoir. Speaking to TMZ, he quipped that Federline "was a professional father ... so it would be the first book that would tell you how to be a professional father."

Federline's memoir, "You Thought You Knew," is set for release on Oct. 21. A press release said it will focus on "fame, fatherhood and the private cost of public life."

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Britney Spears, Sam Asghari