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Zahnita Wilson's Husband Claims She Tried to Attack Him, Daughter Denies Any Abuse at Home
Late last year, Malaysian former ex-supermodel Zahnita Wilson, 40, shared a collage photo of her bruised eye on her Instagram account.
She later revealed that she had been a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband for the past 20 years.
Following the revelation and a police report, Zahnita's husband, Abdul Zackery Ghouse, 47, had been arrested and charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code and Section 326A of the same law, which provides for a year's imprisonment or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, if convicted.
However, the father of four pleaded not guilty to voluntarily causing injury to his wife.
The husband claimed Zahnita was the abusive one
On 7th January, about a month after Zahnita’s Instagram posting, Abdul Zackery claimed he was the one who had endured years of domestic violence at the hands of Zahnita.
According to a report, Abdul Zackery claimed that Zahnita tried to Muay Thai him. He also added that he had to endure Zahnita's yearly demands for divorce throughout their 20 years of marriage.
Abdul Zackery said the couple had an argument last November, during which he allegedly became aggressive. He said the couple argued after he found out Zahnita had rented a property for her business without informing him.
“When I confronted her, she became angry, saying she needed to protect her business and couldn't live with me as I always hit her,” he said.
Not only that, Abdul Zackery also accused his wife of neglecting their four kids since starting her Shepherd's Pie business. He later emphasised that his comments were made in the interest of their children's welfare.
He also called for his wife to focus on their family, especially their youngest child, who has autism.
Zahnita's eldest daughter voiced support for Abdul Zackery and claimed no one was being beaten up at home
Meanwhile, Zahnita's eldest daughter, Zahrafeena, alleged that the photo of her mother's bruised eye that was posted was actually an old picture.
The 18-year-old, known as Zahra, said her mother had planned to move everyone after she completed her SPM, but the alleged abuse went viral before it happened.
In an interview, Zahra said she had never seen her father beat her mother or anyone in the house.
“Yes, she did post the photo of her bruised eye and she said she had to cover it up by wearing sunglasses. But she was never beat up during that time. She never had any bruises during the time. My father never beat her or me or anyone,” she said.
Zahra also added that she was disappointed with her mother for being selfish, as she's now burdened with the thought of her examination and her family issues.
She felt her mother had neglected her responsibility as a parental figure and criticised her mother's timing. When she was asked about her current relationship with Zahnita, Zahra admitted it was strained. The teenager also shared that she's currently staying with her father.
“My relationship with my mother was not strained because I chose to live with my father. We drifted apart after my father was sent to jail, but I hope we can reconcile. No one forced me to stay with my father. I feel it's more suitable for me to stay here for now because of my exam.”
You can watch the interview down below:
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Zahnita's response
Following her husband's claim that she was the abusive one in their relationship, Zahnita released a statement in which she denied ever having laid a hand on him.
While Zahnita admitted to having learned Muay Thai, she said she had learned it to defend herself and refused to comment further.
Zahnita said her husband, had made the allegation after she refused to withdraw from the case, in which she had accused him of abusing her.
“Yesterday, we went to court and in front of the judge, he told me that he would let me go only if I withdrew the case against him.”
Meanwhile, the model expressed her sadness upon hearing her eldest daughter's statement. However, according to a report, she refused to make any statement to refute it as she felt her daughter might not have fully understood the situation.
“Let her be. It's okay. She's still young and I believe once she becomes an adult, she'll understand. It's just that I am sad that she would defend him,” Zahnita said.
As a mother, she believed that not all problems between a husband and a wife should be disclosed to their children.
“I've been keeping this a secret from her as I do not wish to speak ill of her father. After all, he's still her biological dad.”
For the record, Zahnita and her husband tied the knot in 2005 and have four children together. Zahnita previously filed for a divorce in 2013.
Featured Image Credit: NST, Kosmo!
Featured Image Credit: NST, Kosmo!