Michelle Chia’s marriage on the rocks?
UPDATED
Celebrity couple Michelle Chia and Shaun Chen confirmed on Wednesday that they are getting a divorce.
In a statement, the couple said: "I, Shaun Chen, and Michelle Chia, are currently undergoing divorce proceedings."
They thanked the media and friends for their care and understanding, but asked: "Please give us more space and understanding during this trying time.
"We sincerely wish each other happiness, and may we stay healthy and happy in the future."
Chia, 35, told The New Paper on Wednesday evening: "It is an amicable agreement between both of us after much discussion and consideration.
"Why we decided to part, it is too personal and difficult to explain."
Decked out in an outfit that is more suited for the bedroom than the red carpet, Michelle Chia arrived at the Star Awards 2011 Show on Sunday night conspicuously without her actor husband, Shaun Chen.
The Internet was rife with rumours that the stars' three-year marriage was on the rocks, and that Chia and Chen are not sharing the same bed any more.
When quizzed by The New Paper (TNP) if he had been served papers from Chia, Chen was taken aback and speechless.
"How do you know about the letter? Can I not comment on this?" he replied.
Dispelling gossip that the couple are not living together anymore, Chen added that he did not believe in divorce as he is a conservative man.
"A man must be married. If a couple is having problems, then I believe in sticking through them.
"It's not easy for people from two different worlds to be together, and marriage is a long journey," he added.
Chen also emphasised that he "doesn't need to answer to people about his marriage".
Under Singapore law, a couple has to be married for three years before filing for divorce, and a check on the Registry of Marriages website revealed that Chen and Chia have been married for exactly three years.
In contrast to a more subdued Chen, Chia was having a blast posing for photographers in her see-through dress on the red carpet, and then later in her Madonna-inspired chili-red dress complete with fibreglass breast cones.
TNP revealed that an industry insider confirmed the rumour that Chia is now dating a Caucasian.
When Chia was quizzed at the event, she replied, "I don't want to talk about this. Let's just talk about clothes and awards tonight."
She went on to talk about her racy Ferragamo outfit, and said that "it was sexy and not too vulgar...because it's like playing peekaboo without revealing everything."
Chen admitted that he was shocked with her outfit, but added that she "looked pretty in it" and did not need his permission to wear it.
He added that they did not walk in together during the event due to the arrangements made by the programming people.
Other married celebrity couples at the show like Fann Wong and Christopher Lee, and Zheng Geping and Hong Huifang were seen hand-in-hand on the red carpet and on stage.
