Britney Spears engaged

LOS ANGELES • American pop princess Britney Spears announced on Sunday that she was engaged to her boyfriend Sam Asghari, three months after she told a Los Angeles judge that the conservatorship which has governed her life since 2008 was robbing her of the ability to make personal decisions.

Mr Brandon Cohen, a talent manager for Asghari, confirmed the engagement on Sunday night.

"The couple made their long-standing relationship official today and are deeply touched by the support, dedication and love expressed to them," Mr Cohen said.

Spears, 39, and Asghari, 27, each shared posts on Instagram to announce the engagement and to show off her ring, which Mr Cohen said had been designed by New York jeweller Roman Malayev.

The engagement came just days after lawyers for Spears' father, Mr James Spears, had written in a filing: "If Ms Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr Spears believes that she should get that chance."

The singer gave a statement in her case in June, saying she had been drugged, forced to work and prevented from removing her birth control device.

"I just want my life back," she said. "I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I don't feel like I can live a full life."

In her statement, she said that under the conservatorship, she was unable to marry or have a child. "I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, I am not able to get married or have a baby."

In a highly contested legal battle, Spears in July filed to have her father removed from his role as conservator of her estate.

Mr Spears had initially pushed back on the request, but announced last month that he would step aside and work with the court to assure "an orderly transition to a new conservator".

The next hearing in the case is set for Sept 29.

Iranian-born Asghari is an actor whose work includes the Showtime television series Black Monday (2019 to present). He is also a fitness trainer.

He told Men's Health in 2018 that he had met Britney Spears in 2016 while working on a music video for her song Slumber Party.

Spears has been married twice. In 2004, she married her childhood friend Jason Alexander for 55 hours. Later that year, she married Kevin Federline, a back-up dancer, actor and rapper, and they have two sons.

Spears filed for divorce from Federline in 2006.

NYTIMES