Helwa Bachmid exposes the reasons and unfulfilled promises from Habib Bahar bin Smith in their siri marriage. She claims to have been deceived, believing the preacher was already divorced from his legal wife. The controversy has drawn a sharp response from Habib's first wife, Fadlun Faisal Balghoits.
The controversy over the siri marriage between model from Manado, Helwa Bachmid, and preacher Habib Bahar bin Smith has escalated since late last week. On November 20-21, 2025, Helwa posted a lengthy rant on Instagram @helwabachmid_, revealing why she accepted Habib's proposal. She said she initially rejected it in front of her mother but softened after Habib hugged her feet and begged while crying. "I rejected him directly in front of HBS, and my mom witnessed it. I was crying, then HBS came and hugged my feet, begging me to marry him.. for some reason, my heart melted just like that," Helwa wrote.
Helwa believed Habib was a good widower already divorced from Fadlun Faisal Balghoits after seeing a divorce petition once on WhatsApp. "First, the reason I married HBS is because at first I thought HBS was a good person. According to HBS, he is a preacher widower, very good and already divorced even though I was only shown the divorce petition once on WA," she revealed. She added that Habib swore he would divorce Fadlun, and his mother agreed. However, just one day after the akad, Habib admitted reconciling with Fadlun.
Additionally, Helwa exposed sweet promises Habib made to her family, including a car, house, and umrah trip. "There was talk of a car, umrah, house, that's what Bahar promised to my mom," she said. Now, after a year of marriage, she feels abandoned with her child in a rented house claimed as owned, with no promises fulfilled. Helwa also admitted she had never dated before, making her vulnerable to seduction. "I've always been under my mom's supervision… so I emphasize I have never dated!! I have no experience with being seduced or anything like that," she wrote. During the akad, family phones were collected, leaving little documentation. Fadlun's response has heightened public tension over the issue.
