Indonesian actor Baim Wong has been quietly considering divorce from his wife, actress Paula Verhoeven, since 2023.
This was disclosed by his attorney, Fahmi Bachmid, following their first divorce hearing at the Pengadilan Agama Jakarta Selatan religious court on Wednesday, as reported by Sindonews.com.
During the hearing, which included mediation efforts, Fahmi revealed that Baim had been reflecting on the decision for over a year.
The couple has been living separately for seven months, and Baim believed that the divorce was inevitable.
"(Baim) stated clearly that perhaps this is his destiny, that his marriage has to end with a divorce," Fahmi said.
"It was not an easy decision and took him over a year to reach."
The couple, who have been married for nearly six years, also discussed the future of their two children, Kiano, 3, and Kenzo, 2.
According to Baim, the children feel more comfortable with him, but no final agreement has been made.
Further mediation is scheduled for Monday (Oct 28).
Indonesian media reported that Baim had divorced his wife on Oct 7.
This followed speculation of a marital crisis after news that Paula had recently performed the Umrah without Baim being present.
They had also been rarely seen together at events recently.
Baim and Paula, 37, tied the knot on Nov 22, 2018.