Britney’s Ex Prays For Her    ·    March 12th, 2007

The most recent man in Britney Spears’s life says her decision to check into rehab came as a shock to him, but he supports her.

“I was definitely surprised that she went into rehab,” model Isaac Cohen told People Friday at a party for Cubavera Sportswear at California’s Glendale Galleria Macy’s.

“I didn’t feel it had to come to that, but you know, if that’s what it takes and if that’s what she needs.”

Cohen, 25, hasn’t spoken to Spears in a month, since he divulged intimate details about her and their short-lived relationship to the British tabloid News of the World.

Still, he thinks his ex made the right choice by seeking treatment. “It’s the best thing for her, her children – for everyone around her, actually,” he said. “She’s a strong girl and I really feel that she’ll be okay.”

Spears, 25, and Cohen were first spotted together in January, powerboating off Marina del Rey. They broke up a month later in a split his rep called “very amicable.”

But Cohen still thinks about Spears, and he told PEOPLE he wants her to know one thing: “You and your family are in my prayers.”

[People Magazine]