While anyone familiar with the entertainment industry might not be surprised by how low people can go in the name of clout, we are thankful to learn that what would have been one of the most distasteful events ever was actually a hoax.
ICYMI, dangdut megastar Lesti Kejora last week withdrew her domestic violence complaint against her husband, actor Rizky Billar, after he was taken into police custody. The move prompted jeers towards Lesti by people who felt “pranked” by her, as they seem unable to grasp the psychological nuances in domestic violence cases.
Feeding fire to the flame was a poster, supposedly by major TV network Indosiar, promoting a concert by the pair titled, “Love Blooms Again” on Oct. 23.
While holding such a concert would have been indefensible on Indosiar’s part, the network yesterday clarified on Twitter that the entire thing was a hoax.
“This was made by an irresponsible party using Indosiar’s logo. With this, Indosiar clarifies that this is a HOAX,” the tweet reads.
Indosiar added that it had scheduled another program for the time slot outlined in the poster, and warned that the use of its logo or name to further fake news is a criminal act in Indonesia.
Nevertheless, there have been calls online to boycott both Lesti and Rizky after she dropped the charges against him. While there rightfully hasn’t been any sanctions towards Lesti, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has called on TV stations to ban Rizky, an alleged domestic abuser, from appearing in their programs.
Lesti filed the domestic violence complaint on Sept. 28, alleging that Rizky had assaulted her after she confronted him about his alleged infidelity.
Police heard from Lesti that Rizky slammed her onto a bed and choked her until she fell on the floor. Lesti was pictured wearing a neck brace in hospital a few days later.
CCTV footage later surfaced showing a separate incident in which Rizky attempted to throw a pool ball at Lesti. Thankfully, he missed as he slipped and fell before making the throw.
Rizky was apprehended last week and was facing five years in prison for domestic violence before Lesti withdrew her complaint as she seeks to make amends with her husband. Police have granted Lesti’s request to release Rizky from detention, but the case has not been entirely closed yet with police keen on taking a “restorative justice” approach to settle differences between the couple.
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