KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian singer Bella Astillah has filed for divorce from her husband, Singapore actor Aliff Aziz.
Speaking to reporters outside the Syariah Lower Court in KL on March 13, Bella, 29, said the divorce was the best way to resolve her marital conflict with Aliff, 33.
Bella, whose real name is Dayang Ara Nabellah Awang Astillah, added that she was adamant on ending her marriage with Aliff this time, as she had given him plenty of opportunities to salvage their relationship.
Bella and Aliff, who have two children, divorced in 2019 after he was accused of cheating on her, but reconciled in 2020.
“This is the best path for me and Aliff. I just want everything to go smoothly, considering that we are in the month of Ramadan now. I’m determined (to continue with the divorce) as I have already given him lots of chances,” she said.
According to lawyer Azmi Mohd Rais, who represented Bella, Aliff agreed with the singer’s decision to divorce and was set to attend proceedings on March 13.
However, the actor was unable to do so because of his filming schedule. The hearing has been adjourned to April 4.
Bella’s divorce application came days after Aliff was nabbed by the religious authorities for suspected khalwat (close proximity).
Officials from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) arrested him and Malaysian actress Ruhainies on March 9 after they were seen together at a condominium in KL.
Aliff, who married Bella in 2016, apologised for the incident in an Instagram Story on March 10 and said he will issue a statement to explain what really happened to avoid further misunderstandings.
Ruhainies, 31, made a similar statement on Instagram and urged the public to stop speculating as many reports on the matter contained misinformation.
Aliff has been embroiled in a string of controversies in recent years.
In 2020, he was sentenced in Singapore to two weeks’ jail and a fine of $500 for stealing from Indonesian actress Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri in a hotel room near Havelock Road, and an unrelated charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in public near Orchard Towers. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
