Actor Aliff Aziz cheated on wife Bella Astillah because his 'soul felt empty'

Source: The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA - The scandalous story surrounding the private life of Singaporean actor Aliff Aziz remains a hot topic in the Malaysian entertainment scene, and the buzz does not seem to be dying down any time soon.

In a recent interview with entertainment programme Melodi, Aliff revealed that he cheated on his wife, Malaysian artiste Bella Astillah, as his "soul felt empty".

He admitted that he made a mistake and said he failed to appreciate what he already had at the time.

"I couldn't control myself. That was a mistake. (This) mistake isn't something to be proud of. It made me very stressed and embarrassed," the 33-year-old said.

Addressing the suspected khalwat (close proximity) issue with Malaysian actress Ruhainies, Aliff said he chose to remain silent when the scandal first broke as he did not want netizens to twist his statement.

He added that the case is still under investigation. "I never ran away (from the issue), but admitted it was a mistake," he said.

Aliff and Ruhainies, 31, made headlines on March 9 when they were detained by religious authorities under suspicion of committing khalwat at a condominium in Kuala Lumpur.

Bella, 30, filed for a divorce from Aliff a few days later, but he refused to divorce her during the hearing on April 4. They have two children aged seven and four.

Explaining why he did so, he said: "She is the mother of my children. There needs to be more discussion. What happens after is something I have to bear."

The estranged couple tied the knot on Sept 9, 2016. They first divorced in 2019 after Aliff was hit with cheating allegations, but reconciled in 2020.

Aliff also shared that his marriage with Bella had been rocky even before he started filming with Ruhainies for the upcoming drama Terjerat.

He claimed that Bella had asked for a divorce in December 2023, but changed her mind.