“LET this year mark a new beginning for my daughter and I,” said actress and singer Elly Mazlein.
The 37-year-old whose real name is Sharifah Aida Mazlina Syed Hanafi had quite a year in 2016 having received hordes of attention from the media following the controversy surrounding her divorce with ex-husband Azmi Hatta.
Another actress, Faye Kusairi, 29, who starred in the recent hit TV3 drama series 7 Hari Mencintaiku was allegedly involved as the third person in the couple’s marriage and was said to be the cause of the couple’s split.
Elly and Azmi married on Nov 9, 2014, and divorced on Oct 15, 2015 while she was about 5 months pregnant with Putri Sara Sefhia. Her daughter would be turning one soon in March.
In recent updates, Faye has come out and admitted that she and Azmi are in a relationship and that they are planning to tie the knot in the near future.
Since the incident, Elly, better known as Kak Lina Pom Pom among her fans, has been open about her divorce.
But when met at a media event organised by haircare company Aveda in KLCC recently, the actress seemed ready to move on with her life, wanting to focus on her career after pulling out from Astro Ria’s veterans’ singing contest Gegarvaganza Season 3 due to a dispute between herself and one of the judges of the competition, Datuk Ramli M.S.
“I also want to focus on taking care of my daughter. She’s little, she shouldn’t have to be burdened with all this drama,” said the Sembilu actress.
“I’ve come to accept this test from Allah. Everything happens for a reason and I believe that Allah will reward me with something much better than what I can possibly imagine.
Upon the court’s orders, Azmi is allowed to visit his daughter at Elly’s home, but the actress said she was disappointed that he never came to visit after she set up a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera at her house to tighten security.
When asked if she received any threats from anyone, Elly said: “No, my decision to set up the CCTV camera is to ensure the safety of my child and family.”
“I don’t know why he never came. But then again, I can’t tell him what to do. He’s a 42-year-old man, not a kid anymore,” she said.
“It’s not easy having to juggle life between being a single mother and a career woman, but I am doing this for my daughter, and that’s what keeps me going,” said the actress, who is set to start filming a 40 episode TV drama series this coming April. She kept tightlipped when asked more on the details of the show, though.
“Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), job offers keep on coming in. I believe this is part of my daughter’s rezeki too. I’ve been so busy, I barely have time to rest, but it’s a good thing.”