Indonesian diplomats in the US have been alerted to possible domestic abuse suffered by an Indonesian celebrity in Ohio.
Today, Tiga Setia Gara, a rock singer, actress and author from Indonesia posted a series of troubling videos on Instagram. Looking visibly distressed, Tiga, who has lived in the US since marrying her husband last year, said she has been domestically abused during that time and is now on the run and looking for help.
“To all Indonesians, I want to be honest with you all. The reason why I have a limp is because James (her husband) kicked me in the knee which destroyed my knee, and that’s why I had an operation. I kept it in, I lied to my lawyer, doctors, because I was protecting my man. I don’t want him to be jailed,” Tiga said at the beginning of the video.
“And now we had another fight and he almost hit me. That’s why I called 911. But you know what happened? Police said it was my fault because I’m an immigrant; I’m Asian. Because I looked dramatic, even though I showed them photos of my injuries.”
Tiga also said she had been lying about her depiction of a happy life in the US through her Instagram posts. In one post from August 29, Tiga was photographed after surgery on her ACL, but she did not make any mention of the alleged domestic abuse.
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Tiga, who says she’s staying at a hotel in Ohio, then asked those watching to help her get in touch with the Indonesian Embassy because she didn’t know how to do so. She also said that she wants to return to Indonesia because she could no longer bear living in the US.
After Tiga’s video went viral, the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago (KJRI Chicago), which serves Indonesian citizens in Ohio, posted on Instagram that it has managed to get in touch with Tiga.
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In the post, KJRI said that the consulate has determined that Tiga is currently in Dayton, Ohio. They have urged Tiga to contact a domestic violence center in the state, but the singer is still weighing that option while she’s calming herself down.
KJRI added that the consulate will give Tiga the necessary assistance to get her out of the situation she said she has found herself in, and it will call on authorities in Ohio to do their part in protecting her.
