Britney Spears Has One Major Thing In Common With Angelina Jolie And Kevin Costner When It Comes To Her Divorce

britney spears in the "work bitch" music video
(Image credit: RCA Records)

There was sad news out of the Britney Spears camp last week, as it was learned that she and Sam Asghari were headed for divorce after six years together and just over a year of marriage. Rumors of trouble between the two had circulated for months beforehand, particularly after they were both pictured without their wedding rings. As the couple begins to officially part ways, fans can be assured that the embattled pop star is in good hands, as she has one thing in common with Angelina Jolie, Kevin Costner and several other celebrities who have been through the process of ending their marriages. 

Britney Spears has retained the services of famed divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, Variety reports, who, along with currently assisting Kevin Costner with his split from Christine Baumgartner, was the Mr. and Mrs. Smith star’s lawyer in the early years of her proceedings with Brad Pitt. Wasser has also litigated the end of marriages for many other celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp, Maria Shriver and Stevie Wonder. In addition to Wasser, Spears will continue to work with Mathew Rosengart, who was responsible for getting her out of her 13-year conservatorship.

Laura Wasser previously worked with Britney Spears when she was fighting Kevin Federline for custody of her two sons.

Sam Asghari filed for divorce from Britney Spears on August 16 — just 14 months after their fairytale wedding — citing “irreconcilable differences.” He is reportedly asking for spousal support and attorney’s fees, despite the “ironclad” prenup he signed not entitling him to any such pay-out. 

There’s an interesting wrinkle, however, in the couple’s pre-marriage agreement. Sam Asghari also signed off on a confidentiality clause that would prohibit him from ever talking about anything that happened between him and his wife, or past events of her life that he’s become privy to over the course of the last six years. His lawyer is apparently challenging the prenup, and there’s allegedly the possibility that Britney Spears will pony up the cash to make the challenge go away.

The situation certainly feels like it has the potential to get ugly, but if anybody is capable of navigating those waters with the “Baby One More Time” singer, it’s probably Laura Wasser. The divorce lawyer to the stars may also have to fight through cheating allegations, as Britney Spears and Sam Asghari apparently had a big blowup about a week prior to the divorce filing, after which Spears’ husband reportedly moved out.

Other (unsubstantiated) claims that have come out over the past few days include accusations that Britney Spears asked one of her employees to film her naked and that she allegedly attacked Sam Asghari in his sleep.

However, in a statement about the breakup, Britney Spears referenced her own struggles, saying she “couldn’t take the pain anymore” and that ultimately the reasons for their split were “nobody’s business.” While she’s not wrong, that fact isn’t likely to deter her fans from taking much interest in whatever happens next for the former couple, now that they’ve lawyered up. 

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.