Indonesian singer, actress and author Tiga Setia Gara is asking for help in a viral video where she claims she is on the run from her abusive American husband.
The artist claimed her American husband, James Aaron Tolley, had abused her on several occasions. Tiga had to go through a surgical procedure after one of his assaults, according to the viral video translated by Coconuts Jakarta.
“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,” she said in her video initially posted on Instagram, but has since been removed. “I kept it in, I lied to my lawyer, doctors, because I was protecting my man. I don’t want him to be jailed.”
On August 29, Tiga posted a picture of herself after going through an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery. She reportedly never mentioned anything regarding the domestic abuse in her post.
The couple allegedly had another fight recently, but after calling 911, the police did not help her and instead blamed her for being an Asian immigrant.
“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,” she said.
Tiga has lived in the U.S. after marrying her husband last year. Her Instagram account is filled with depictions of a happy married life, but after revealing the domestic abuse she’s been through, the artist expressed she wants to leave the U.S. and move back to Indonesia.
Fortunately, the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago (KJRI Chicago) posted that they managed to get in touch with Tiga, who is currently staying in Dayton, Ohio.
The KJRI urged Tiga to reach out to a domestic violence center. The consulate also added it will give further assistance to the artist to get her out of her current predicament and will help notify authorities to do their part in keeping her safe.
Featured Image via Instagram / tigawat
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