Actor denies ex-wife's accusation of not paying alimony

Actor Viet Anh. Photo from Anh’s Facebook

Huong posted on her Facebook account earlier this week that Anh had failed to pay VND50 million (around $2,100) in monthly alimony over the past year. She added that she was not given any property when the two divorced four years ago, after eight years of marriage.

Her post attracted a lot of attention, with thousands of people leaving comments criticizing Anh for being irresponsible.

Anh publicly responded a day later, stating that he had tried to contact Huong to discuss the issue, but failed. According to him, Huong blocked his phone number and Facebook account. And said he even tried contacting her using another person’s phone, but as soon as he spoke, Huong replied "I won’t talk to you" before ending the call.

Anh added that he and Huong divorced due to "unsolvable discords." Despite that, he said he’s maintained a good relationship with Huong post-divorce, in order to help their son, nicknamed Dau, feel loved and cared about.

Anh explained that he sent Huong VND50 million a month as alimony after their divorce. The figure included VND20 million for Dau’s expenses, VND15 million for housing costs and the remaining VND15 million for other costs. In addition to this amount, he always gave his ex-wife money if she asked for it to buy something or to pay for her and Dau’s holidays.

He started arguing with Huong over the alimony earlier this year, when Huong bought a house with her new boyfriend but still asked Anh for housing money. The actor said he denied her request, saying that he would only pay for Dau’s expenses, which made Huong mad.

The tension peaked when he and Huong could not reach a mutual agreement about which primary school to enroll Dau in. According to Anh, he wanted Dau to go to a public school close to his mother’s house, so his mother could take care of the child when need be. Meanwhile, Huong insisted on enrolling Dau in a private international school.

"Huong accused me of not wanting to pay more for Dau’s tuition fees when I disagreed with her," Anh said, adding that his ex-wife began preventing him and his mother from meeting Dau in person since then.

"Because of that, I stopped sending the alimony beginning in March. I told her I would continue sending it as soon as she lets me and my mother see Dau."

He concluded by saying that he had always wanted the best for their son, including wanting to end the dispute with Huong, so that Dau would not have to read about it when he grows up. He asked Huong to reconsider her decision, and promised to resume the alimony payment if Huong let him see Dau.

Responding to Anh’s post, Huong wrote another status on her account, claiming: "I request Viet Anh to call me over the phone and not be so blatant like that."

She did not reply when the press contacted her.

Anh, 42, is a famous actor, director, producer, and TV host. Throughout his prolific career, he has achieved many prestigious awards for his roles in TV dramas. He has divorced twice, of which the second time was with Huong.