Some people turn to religion in their greatest hour of need. Some, it appears, see dressing up in accordance to their religious beliefs as one possible way out from legal trouble. Either way, the Indonesian media loves glorifying such details as part of their public shaming narratives.
Indonesian actress Vanessa Angel, who is a suspect in a high-profile celebrity prostitution scandal, is currently in jail while awating trial in one of the most widely-reported on criminal cases in recent months.
Lately, the media’s focus on Vanessa has been on her decision to cover herself up with a hijab, as seen in recently viral screenshots showing her donning the Islamic head cover during a video call with her ex-boyfriend.
The fact that Vanessa now wears the hijab has been lapped up by Indonesian news outlets and tabloids alike, as they equate her new fashion sense with religious devotion. Stories containing headlines like, “Belajar pakai hijab dan ikut pengajian, Vanessa Angel sumringah saat disebut cantik (After learning to wear hijab and joining prayer group, Vanessa Angel looks happy when she’s called beautiful)”, and “Selama di penjara, Vanessa Angel rajin salat malam” (In prison, Vanessa Angel observes night prayer)” have been among the most popular in their respective publications recently.
Read also: Privacy rights, the other victim in Indonesia’s latest celebrity prostitution scandal | Opinion
Now, it may well be that Vanessa and those close to her have been feeding the tabloid beast, but, if that were the case, those publications don’t seem to mind taking the bait. And goodwill these stories have generated for Vanessa will likely be used to help her legal case.
“Vanessa’s religious worship is much better now. Since being involved in the [prostitution] case, she now observes salat (Islamic prayer) five times a day. She also observes duha and tahajjud prayers (voluntary early morning and late night prayers),” Vanessa’s attorney Milano Lubis told Okezone when asked about her hijab yesterday.
Vanessa is far from the first famous Indonesian to don religious attire after becoming embroiled in scandals or legal problems. Actress Nikita Mirzani recently donned the hijab amid a domestic dispute with her former husband, only to take it off soon after. Jennifer Dunn, a former actress who was jailed for drug use and known for her affair with a married businessman, has also been spotted wearing the hijab.
But perhaps wearing religious attire to get out of trouble is a legitimate legal strategy. After all, Siti Aisyah, one of the two women accused of assassinating Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, took to wearing the hijab during her trial in Malaysia. She was set free.
