Malaysian Prince, forced marriage, and an appeal: Indonesian model tries to set record straight

Indonesian-American model Manohara Odelia. (Source: Instagram)

Indonesian-American model Manohara Odelia has publicly revisited one of the most inspected chapters of her life, urging the media to stop describing her teenage marriage to a Malaysian prince as a legitimate relationship. Sharing a statement on Instagram, Odelia said the union was “coercive, non-consensual, and illegal,” and called for accuracy and ethical responsibility in how her story is told.

Now 33, Odelia was 16 years old when she married Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, the son of the Sultan of Malaysia’s Kelantan state, in 2008. For years, she has been referred to in headlines as the prince’s “ex-wife”, a label she says fundamentally misrepresents what she endured.

“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,” she wrote.

Odelia explained that as a minor, she did not have the capacity to give informed consent and was living under coercion, isolation, and strict control. She argued that terms like mantan istri (ex-wife) imply a lawful, adult marriage entered into by choice.

“That implication is false. It reframes a coercive situation as a legitimate relationship and distorts the reality of what occurred,” she said.

In her statement, Odelia appealed directly to Indonesian journalists, editors, and digital platforms, including Google and Wikipedia, asking them to abandon language that, in her view, sanitises child marriage and abuse. Continuing to use such labels, she said, amounts to unethical journalism.

“This request is not about revisiting the past. It is about accuracy, ethics, and responsible use of language. Careful language matters. Words have consequences. Survivors deserve to have their stories described truthfully and with dignity,” she wrote.

Odelia has previously described her time in the Kelantan royal palace as one marked by extreme restrictions. She has alleged that she was constantly monitored, denied freedom of movement, and cut off from regular contact with her family. In earlier interviews, she spoke of physical and sexual abuse, saying refusal was met with punishment.

Her ordeal came into public view in 2009, when she made a dramatic escape during a royal trip to Singapore. She fled from a hotel and returned to Indonesia with the assistance of her mother, local authorities, and the US embassy.

By speaking out again, Odelia says she hopes to shift the focus from sensationalism to truth and to ensure that what happened to her is recognised not as a failed marriage, but as a case of coercion involving a child.