Businessman appeals verdict to divide $12M assets with supermodel ex-wife

Vietnamese-American businessman Nguyen Duc An (L) and his ex-wife, supermodel Ngoc Thuy. Photo obtained by VnExpress

He had sued her for not returning assets worth VND288 billion (US$11.8 million) bought with "money he made before their marriage."

But the court ruled earlier this month that since the properties had been bought when they were still married, they are "joint assets" and each of the couple is entitled to ownership of half of them.

It rejected his claim that Thuy had bought the assets with money he had "transferred to her" and "made before marriage," citing lack of proof.

An said Friday that he has filed an appeal in the High People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City, saying the trial did "not take all of the proof into account."

He said the court failed to collect enough proof, summon every relevant party to the trial and correctly, fully and objectively assess the proof there was.

By doing so, it "severely affected his legal rights and benefits," he said.

"The initial verdict, which claimed that the defendant [Thuy] was entitled to have ownership of half of the disputed assets, was unconvincing to me," he stated in his filing. "It was against what actually happened and against the laws."

He demanded the court to hold an appeal that will judge the case "objectively" and "based on laws" to protect his rights and benefits.

Thuy told VnExpress that she respects the plaintiff’s [An’s] legal rights and does not have any comments about the verdict.

An, 61, married Thuy, 43, a model and actress, in 2006 after knowing her for just a week. They divorced in 2008.

As a foreigner, he had to register properties in Thuy’s name during their marriage, as required by Vietnamese law, he pointed out.

The court held its first trial on Aug. 18 this year, 13 years after An filed the suit, since it had to "obtain documents related to the properties in dispute."