In a new development in the dramatic "Syamsul Yusof Vs Puteri Sarah" narrative that's unfolding on social media, the director has taken to Instagram to give his side of the story after keeping silent since sharing news of his marriage to second wife Ira Kazar on Jan 6.
In the almost 12-minute video posted in the early hours of Wednesday (Jan 11), the Mat Kilau director addressed allegations made by his first wife Puteri Sarah on her Instagram account.
One claim she made in her video was regarding being blocked on Whatsapp by Syamsul.
She said: “You have blocked me for a year now. How am I supposed to discuss (about our rocky marriage) when you have blocked me?"
In reply to that, Syamsul explained that he blocked her number as he didn’t want to make the situation between them worse than it already was.
“I had to block as I do not like to engage in arguments. ... How can I communicate with you when all you do is throw insults at me. You do not respect me.
“You left me with no room for discussion or for me to even say anything when all you Whatsapp me are insults. I felt that was harmful. That’s why I blocked (you).”
Syamsul further said that he has been keeping quiet despite the various media reports and claims made by Puteri Sarah, as he doesn’t want to air private matters to the public.
“I swallowed every insult hurled at me because I didn’t want to talk about our private matters on social media,” the 38-year-old said in the video.
“But I had to make this video to fend off the terrible opinions formed by netizens about this situation.
“If you don’t know the whole truth, it’s better not to say anything ... You can't believe everything that you read in the media,” he added.
He also hoped that the public would stop insulting his two wives and other family members.
Syamsul added that he has always communicated with Puteri Sarah through his mother-in-law about their children and has always provided them with financial support.
“Even though I blocked Sarah, I never abandoned my children. I take care of their finances. I work hard for the sake of my wife and children,” said the filmmaker behind several box office hits.
Not too much later, Puteri Sarah responded to her husband on Instagram, asking him to stop twisting the conflicts surrounding their marriage.
“Go ahead and twist the story as long as you can ... (But) don't go and twist the story later to say ‘It was Sarah who desperately wanted to be let go. I didn’t want to because I loved her all these while'.”
“Enough with ‘playing the victim’ drama and the blaming.”
On Tuesday (Jan 10), the 37-year-old had posted that she doesn't want to be married to Syamsul anymore and urges him to let her go.
Syamsul and Puteri Sarah married in 2014 and they share two children – Syaikhul Islam, six, and Summayyah, four.
Since early last year, Puteri Sarah has been dropping hints on social media that there's another woman in their marriage and even revealed it was 27-year-old Ira.
The public war of words between the couple shifted gears when Syamsul confirmed he has taken Ira as his second wife.