As she seems to be slowly leaning into returning to the pop music world that made her a household name, Britney Spears is reportedly also making a quick return to the dating game. (The general idea, not the TV game show, but wouldn’t THAT be something?) Rumors initially connected the singer to Paul Richard Soliz, the contractor that previously worked on her and ex-husband Sam Asghari’s house before being terminated earlier this year. And while their relationship details are still uncertain, Soliz talked about her publicly for the first time and predictably had some nice things to say.
Paul Richard Soliz spoke with US Weekly after making his way out of a mandated court appearance tied to reportedly violating the terms of his probation, and said the following about Britney Spears:
She’s a phenomenal woman. She’s a very, very good, positive… She’s a good person.
Obviously, that’s not a direct confirmation of a romantic entanglement, but does seem to indicate that Soliz and Spears have been spending more time together than just a little bit. He followed up by saying that she’s “doing great” amid the ongoing divorce proceedings, which have involved the parceling out of the former couple’s pets, potential arguments involving their prenup agreement, and more. The singer was reportedly struggling in the early days, with only her lawyer and manager to help her with day-to-day needs, but she’s since added to her staffer team, and appears to be in good spirits.
If Britney Spears is indeed dating Soliz, it possibly adds a bit more weight to the rumors that Sam Asghari broke the marriage off over infidelity allegations, after he reportedly witnessed security camera footage of the pair. Before being photographed with her in late August, just weeks after the divorce news went wide, Soliz did maintenance and cleaning work around their house, from unclogging toilets to simple fix-it duties. And even though he was fired for undisclosed reasons, he still shared a positive opinion about Sam Asghari.
[Sam’s a] great guy.
It doesn’t sound like those closest to Spears are huge fans of her spending so much time with Soliz, who has a history of criminal behavior. He’s spent time in jail on multiple occasions, first in 2004 for meth possession with the intent to sell, and then in 2019 over disturbing the peace, and also spent 90 days in jail early in 2023 over a 2020 charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to ET, sources close to the pop star don’t think that Soliz is a good fit for a romantic tryst, and they “aren’t supportive of the relationship.” The reason why Spears is into him, according to the source, is that he is very protective of her, which she finds major comfort in, particularly during this emotionally trying time.
Paul Richard Soliz is aware that his criminal past is an easy mark for others to judge him by, but doesn’t think that should be the basis of others’ opinions. In his words:
I’m not a bad dude. I understand that things have been said about me in the past, and I have a criminal record — I get it. I’m a working man. I own my own business. I do a licensed contractor technique tile.
Will Spears and Soliz ever go Instagram official, presumably where he’s in the background of 7 dancing videos all posted in a ten-minute spree? We’ll just have to wait and see. But don’t forget about all the behind-the-scenes tea that will get spilled when her new memoir The Woman in Me hits stores on October 24, 2023, even if it won’t have anything about her divorce in it.