US singer says she unknowingly married Malaysian sultan: ‘I deserve a proper divorce’

“In April 2024, we went on our first trip together to Oman. I thought we got engaged there, because in my culture the big ceremony is a wedding, which we planned for January 2025. So I was confused. In Oman, they brought an imam out, and I did the whole conversion, but he didn’t teach me all that much about Islam,” said the California native, who is now releasing music inspired by her break-up.

Porter, 30, said that she only recently learned that a nikah constitutes a legally binding marriage under Islamic law. The aspiring pop singer has since broken her silence on her relationship with Muhammad V, who previously reigned as King of Malaysia from 2016 until his abdication in 2019, when he resumed duties as the ruler of the religiously conservative Kelantan province.

“We met in January 2024 in New York, introduced by mutual friends on a night out. We had this instant chemistry and good banter,” she said, describing his intelligence and “cute” British accent as an immediate draw. “We were just friends at first, but we started talking every day and the next thing you know …”

The pair embarked on a whirlwind romance, with Porter and her friends being treated to opulent holidays in the Middle East and Thailand as well as lavish gifts of clothes, handbags and jewellery set with blue diamonds to “match [my] eyes”.

“He flew me and my friends all around the world. He was so generous, the nicest hotels, giving my friends the best treatment, experiences and gifts. He loves hotels, he probably spent millions on them for our trips,” Porter told This Week in Asia.

Upon their return to Malaysia, she was referred to as “Che Puan”, a courtesy title for non-royal women who marry senior royalty. There, she was told she had to change her dressing and demeanour to what she describes as “pretty much perfect all the time”.