- Manohara Odelia described her marriage to Malaysian prince as coercive and illegal
- She was 16 at the time and lacked capacity to give informed consent
- Odelia urged media to stop calling her the prince’s ex-wife, citing ethical concerns
Indonesian-American model Manohara Odelia has opened up about her traumatic marriage to Malaysian Prince Tengku Fakhry, calling it "coercive, non-consensual, and illegal." In a strong statement issued on her Instagram account, Odelia called for a correction of her public narrative, specifically rejecting the media's use of the term "ex-wife" to describe her relationship with the Malaysian prince. Notably, she was just 16 when she got married.
The model, now 33, clarified that her 2008 union was neither consensual nor legal, but rather a case of coercive marriage. She said that as a minor, she lacked the capacity to give informed consent and was subjected to coercion and isolation.
Odelia urged journalists and digital platforms like Google and Wikipedia to use more accurate and ethical language that reflects the reality of child marriage and abuse rather than sanitising it. She reiterated that her year in the Kelantan royal palace involved strict control, isolation, and alleged physical and sexual abuse before her dramatic 2009 escape from a Singapore hotel.
"What occurred during my teenage years was not a romantic relationship, not a consensual relationship, and not a legal marriage. There was never a relationship I wanted, agreed to, or entered into voluntarily. At the time, I was a minor and was in a situation of coercion and lack of freedom, meaning I did not have a real choice or the capacity to give consent," she wrote in the post.
Read the post here:
"Using the term “mantan istri” implies a lawful, voluntary, adult relationship and marriage. That implication is false. It reframes a coercive situation as a legitimate relationship and distorts the reality of what occurred. I ask Indonesian media, editors, writers, and digital platforms (including Google and Wikipedia) to stop using this label when referring to me. Continuing to introduce articles with this mischaracterization is not only inaccurate, it is unethical journalism," she added.
The Marriage And Escape
In 2008, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, the son of the Sultan of Malaysia's Kelantan state, married Indonesian model Manohara Odelia when she was just 16. Her life took a dark turn after her marriage, as she alleged that she had no freedom to move freely, had little contact with her parents, and lived under constant surveillance within the palace. In previous interviews, she's spoken about the abuse she faced, including sexual violence and harassment, with punishment for refusal.
A year later, in 2009, she fled a hotel in Singapore during a royal trip and returned to Indonesia with help from her mother, local authorities, and the US embassy.
