Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander confirms split from wife: 'I've done many stupid things that many men do'

In early July, rumours of a split between Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander and his wife of 14 years, Dr Jezamine Lim, began circulating online. 

The 57-year-old, initially chose to keep silent regarding the reports. However, Harith and Jezamine finally agreed to an interview with Malaysian press The Rakyat Post, where they confirmed their split. 

In the interview, which was uploaded on Jul 19, Harith expressed his wish to put an end to speculation and took responsibility for the failure of his marriage. 

He said: “I screwed up.”

“In case people think this is an act, we didn’t get to this point immediately. There has been a long period where we couldn’t be like this,” he added. 

The pair, who have three children together, emphasised that their decision “did not come through violent arguments or any form of abuse”.

They also shut down rumours of financial problems or the involvement of a third party, but did not reveal the reason for their divorce. 

Harith then said: “I’m a guy. I’m an idiot. I acted in ways I should not have… I’m not going to say 'Oh, I did this, didn’t do that'. I’m not gonna come up with any excuses. I have done stupid things that many men do and you would think I know better at my age.”

They chose to deal with their divorce privately as they knew their children would likely come across the interview in the future.

During the interview, Harith also revealed that he had made mistakes throughout the years, while Jezamine remained patient through them all. The latter also said that she had “forgiven him” for his wrongdoings. 

Harith and Jezamine had attempted to work on their marriage by going for couple’s therapy and speaking to friends, but ultimately decided they would be better off as “good friends”. 

Despite the breakdown of their marriage, both parties are still dedicated to providing the best for their children, with Harith revealing that he will still “live close by”.

Jezamine will have full custody of their kids, while Harith will maintain full visitation rights. 

He also added that their children have “really taken [the news of the divorce] well”. 

Although Jezamine was the one who filed for the divorce, the couple, again, emphasised that the decision to split was mutual. Only one party was required to initiate the divorce at the Syariah court, and they had decided that Jezamine would be the one to do it as Harith would be easily recognised. 

“Our work relationship continues. She’s still managing that. It may be a bit awkward but hopefully with this video, you guys will see that it doesn’t change,” said Hairth, with Jezamine adding that she is also “passionate” about Harith’s career. 

The couple wishes that the public would refrain from speculating about their split, though Harith is also well aware that rumours are inevitable. He joked: “I hate saying don’t speculate because people are going to speculate anyway.”

This story was originally published in 8Days.