Model Forced at 16 to Marry a 30-Year-Old Malaysian Prince Says, “I Did Not Have a Real Choice”

More than a decade after fleeing a royal household, Indonesian American model Manohara Odelia has spoken again about the marriage she says was forced upon her as a minor.

In 2008, at the age of 16, she was married to Malaysian prince Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, a union she now says was neither consensual nor legally valid.

Now 33, Manohara has publicly challenged how her story continues to be framed, insisting that language used to describe her past misrepresents the reality of what she endured.

Life inside the palace and allegations of abuse

The marriage, which drew intense attention in Malaysia and Indonesia, quickly became controversial. Manohara has alleged that while living in Kelantan she was subjected to physical and emotional abuse, placed under strict control, and isolated from her family and the outside world.

She has said she was not allowed to move freely, had only limited contact with her relatives, and was effectively confined within the palace complex.

Recalling that period, she told Indonesia's Detik news outlet, as quoted by ABC News, "Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me." She added, "And he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse."

Dramatic escape from royal custody

In 2009, a year after the marriage, Manohara managed to flee during a trip with the royal family to Singapore. She escaped from a hotel and returned to Indonesia with the assistance of her mother, local police and officials from the United States embassy.

Her departure marked the end of her time within the Malaysian royal household and brought her allegations of abuse into the international spotlight.

Rejecting the label of 'ex-wife'

More than 15 years after her escape and divorce, Manohara has again addressed the public narrative around her past. In an Instagram post dated January 5, 2026, she objected strongly to being described as "Mantan Istri," the Indonesian term for "ex-wife."

"For many years, I have repeatedly been referred to in articles and headlines as 'Mantan Istri [blank],'" she wrote. "I am writing to respectfully clarify that this description is inaccurate and misleading."

Without naming the prince, she stated that what happened during her adolescence did not meet the definition of a lawful or voluntary marriage. "What occurred during my teenage years was not a romantic relationship, not a consensual relationship, and not a legal marriage," she wrote. "There was never a relationship I wanted, agreed to, or entered into voluntarily."

'I did not have a real choice'

Manohara explained that the continued use of the term "ex-wife" wrongly suggests she was an adult who willingly entered a legal union. She stressed that, as a minor, she did not have the capacity to give meaningful consent.

"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 said.

She has called on journalists, editors and digital platforms, including Google and Wikipedia, to stop using the label when referring to her. According to Manohara, the request is not about reopening old wounds but about accuracy, ethical reporting and responsible use of language when discussing cases involving minors and coercion.