Scandal-ridden Aliff Aziz headed for divorce after indiscretion with actress; wife says 'I've given him many chances'

Singaporean actor Aliff Aziz is headed for divorce with his Malaysian actress wife Bella Astillah once again.

The couple, who tied the knot in 2016 and have two children together, previously split in 2019 but reconciled shortly after.

Bella, 29, whose real name is Dayang Nabellah Awang Astillah, told reporters yesterday (March 13) that she filed for a fast-track divorce on March 11 and Aliff, 33, agreed to the split.

"I've given him many chances but no matter what, he is the father of our two children," said Bella.

"The children do not suspect anything amiss. I always give them the excuse that their dad is not around because he has to work."

Aliff, who is now based in Malaysia, was arrested with his 31-year-old Terjerat co-star Ruhainies on March 9 after they were found together in her condominium.

They were in Kuala Lumpur to film the drama.

Malaysia's Federal Territories Religious Department (Jawi) reportedly conducted the raid based on a tip-off from the public.

"When the enforcement officers arrived at the condo, the couple were suspected of khalwat (an unmarried Muslim couple in solitude)," said a Jawi spokesperson.

"It is understood that the actor has been seen on several occasions entering the home of the actress."

Jawi officers had to enlist the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Department when Aliff and Ruhainies refused to open the door to the unit, leading to a three-hour stand-off.

It is understood that Aliff relented only after the fire department threatened forced entry.

A production crew member claimed to reporters that Aliff and Ruhainies would call each other "baby" on the set of Terjerat.

"We didn't expect for their closeness to go beyond the set, extending to the private confines of her home," said the production personnel who wanted to be identified only as Z.

"The crew did remind Aliff not to get too close to his co-star, considering his history. But he insisted that he needed to do what he believed he had to do for his role in the drama series."

Bella, who was also part of the Terjerat cast and reportedly best friends with Ruhainies, has since pulled out from the drama.

Ironically, she was supposed to take on the role of a character who steals the husband of her elder sister played by Ruhainies.

Aliff has had a long history with scandals spanning his career, including flashing himself during a dispute.

He's also made headlines numerous times for alleged infidelity, and Bella revealed in 2019: "My husband often cheats on me."

In 2020, he was given two weeks of imprisonment and fined $500 for stealing money from Indonesian actress Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri and an unrelated charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in public.

'Stop playing victim'

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/C3S8Uljv_Mv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==[/embed]

Aliff and Ruhainies broke their silence on March 11, taking to their respective Instagram Stories to post statements and "apologise for what happened".

"There are many speculations and exaggerated reports on what actually happened. But I understand because the situation has sparked doubt and slander," wrote Aliff, adding that he will release another statement to clarify the details.

Ruhainies made a similar claim: "To answer all the speculations on what is being said on social media platforms, I humbly want to state here, there are some inaccurate statements that have been spread."

At the time of writing, both parties have not released another statement.

While Aliff has turned his Instagram comments off and remained silent, Ruhainies posted another Instagram Story refuting the headline used in a publication.

The article wrote that Ruhainies "needs time to settle the issue of tangkap basah", a term similar to being caught red-handed and is often used to describe khalwat cases.

Ruhainies however claimed: "I'd like to correct what's been happening here. Be careful with the headlines and content in order not to create any speculation that would worsen the situation and lead to more confusion.

[[nid:674560]]

"It was not tangkap basah at all. Up till now, I have yet to release any statement and everything that has since come out from the media has not been statements from me. They are inaccurate."

She also asked the media to "not write anything that would lead to provocation and slander" until she releases an official statement.

Since then, she has not released any and has only made cryptic reposts of quotes from Muslim scholars.

"Stop disliking people for what you heard and be grateful that Allah doesn't dislike you for what he knows," read a quote she posted on her Instagram page yesterday.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/C4cXHD-PQ-E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==[/embed]

Netizens bashed her in the comments, with many telling her to "shut up" and "stop playing victim".

"I can't stand those who did wrong to the point of causing a divorce case and then play victim and start posting about religion. Girl, stay away from social media," commented one netizen.

Another advised: "You need to reflect on yourself first and remain low profile. The more you say, the more people are going to hate you.

"Bringing back your best friend's husband to your condominium speaks volumes about your character."

[[nid:674808]]

syarifahsn@asiaone.com