After months of very public coverage of their estranged relationship, Japanese table tennis champion, Ai Fukuhara (福原愛), and her Taiwanese table tennis player husband, Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑), have officially divorced after almost 5 years of marriage. Back in March, rumors were rampant Ai Fukuhara was allegedly cheating on her husband when she was spotted without her wedding ring and hanging out with a male friend and later returning to the same hotel in Japan. Ai Fukuhara denied the allegations and maintained he was just a long time friend and that they had returned to separate rooms.

Divorce rumors started swirling with other rumors that Ai Fukuhara was suffering from emotional and verbal abuse from her husband. During this period, Chiang Hung-chieh was taking care of Ai Fukuhara’s ill mother in Taiwan for a period of time until she returned to Japan recently.

Back in April, Chiang Hung-chieh officially filed for divorce from Ai Fukuhara. On July 8, the former couple issued a joint statement stating: “To all of our friends that care about us, we have already ended our marital relationship. We will be mutually guarding our two children from here on out. Thank you everyone for your concern all along and also ask that the public gives some personal space to the two young children. Sorry for the trouble caused by our personal affairs. If there are people who still maliciously fabricate or spread false rumors in the future, we will take legal action. Thank you everyone”

It’s uncertain how they will split custody of their two young children. Prior to the divorce, Chiang Hung-chieh had been caring for their son and daughter in Taiwan, while Ai Fukuhara was staying in Japan.

Credit: ETtoday, Chiang Hung-chieh IG