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Who is Gisella Anastasia? Singer, 30, charged over violation of pornography law after alleged sex tape leak

In one of Indonesia’s biggest sex scandals of the year, Jakarta Metro Police named the actress-singer a suspect in the case

A sex tape controversy can turn a life upside down and an Indonesian singer seems to be the latest victim. Popularly known as Gisel Idol, Gisella Anastasia was the runner-up of Indonesian Idol Season 5 and soon went on to star in movies like 'Check The Shop Next Door', 'Flight 555' and 'Laundry Show'. In what can be arguably dubbed Indonesia’s biggest sex scandal of the year, Jakarta Metro Police named her a suspect in the case. 

Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Yusri Yunus said the celebrity confessed to be the woman in the alleged sex tape — which features a man identified by his initials MYD. Reportedly, Gisel had previously been questioned as a witness on two occasions by the Jakarta Metro Police.

At a press conference, Yunus said, “GA (Gisel) confessed, and this was strengthened by testimony from video forensic and IT experts. GA and MYD confessed that the video, which spread on social media, featured themselves and that it was taken in 2017 at a hotel in Medan.” If the charges against them are proved to be true, Gisel and MYD may face up to 12 years in prison for producing and distributing pornographic content under Indonesia’s anti-pornography law. Amid the chaos, let's take a closer look at her life.

Who is Gisella Anastasia?

Born in Surabaya, East Java, on November 16, 1990, Gisel is quite a well-known name in the Indonesian industry who climbed the ladder of success after being crowned the fifth season runner up of Indonesian Idol. 

If reports are to be believed, she first graduated from Petra 1 Surabaya Christian High School in 2004 and then continued her education at Bunda Mulia University in 2006. According to TribunJogja.com, she has a Chinese ethnic ancestry and dreamed of being a dentist when she was a teenager. Did you know she was invited to a duet by famous American singer Johny Stimson and has several songs to her credit? From 'Entire Breath' featuring pop band Last Child in 2011 to 'Thieves of Hearts' in 2012 and 'How to Forget You' in 2016, she has proved her mettle with many melodies. 

Once a singer in the comedy 'Opera Van Java', she soon stepped into the world of glitz and glamor and starred in movies like 'Difficult Signal' and 'The Secret: Sisters Ngesot Urban Legend'. Not just that, she has soap operas like '3 Sempruuul Pursuing Heaven' and 'Next to There is Heaven' to her credit too!

Who is she married to?

The 30-year-old's dating life has been shrouded in controversy. According to TribunNews, Gisel reportedly had an affair with presenter Desta and then moved on to dating Gading Marten. The two soon tied the knot and after the 2013 wedding, they were blessed with a daughter named Gempita Noura Marten. Sadly, the couple decided to separate by January 2019 and parted ways soon after.

The divorce revolved around many controversies too and reports say that she sued Marten. However, the two reconciled later and seem to have a coordial relationship now. Soon after, she was rumored to be dating basketball player Wijaya Saputra. Not just her singing talent, Gisel is also known for making a mark in the food and cosmetics business. On Instagram, she has amassed a huge fan following with her snapshots and product shoots. She often shares adorable pictures with her little girl and her official handle boasts of over 32 million followers and over 8,900 photos! 

What is the sex tape controversy?

Will Gisel be charged for the alleged sex tape? Theoretically, reports state that it will be difficult to prove her guilty as the video is said to have been recorded privately and for private use before it leaked to the public in November 2020.

In one such similar case, Noah frontman Nazril Irham — also known as Ariel — was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail in 2011 for appearing in separate sex tapes with actresses Luna Maya and Cut Tari even though there was no evidence that he himself leaked it. At the time, he was charged on the grounds of negligence for failing to safeguard his NSFW content and was released after serving two years of his sentence.

Ariel sparked a wave of angry reactions and became the first musician charged under Indonesia’s then recently passed pornography law (though he was eventually convicted under UU ITE, the Law on Electronic Transactions and Information). After the scandal, Ariel and Luna reportedly got back to their music careers but Cut Tari has chosen to keep a low profile since then.

What will happen in Gisel's case? 

One fan said, “You're free to make your own choices, but you will never be free of the consequences of your choices,” and another posted, “Try to defend #Gisel on her recent case by laid an "emancipation of woman" sense is just like you put a salt on a tea. Misplace, nonsense. at the end, it looks you're defending a free sex, an affair, & regard that fail to keep your sensitive privacy as a very normal things.”

One angry fan posted, “Wanna know f**ked up thing about indonesia? You cant keep private videos of your own sex tape (as in, a sex video of yourself with consent) and if someone hacks you and spread it, YOU, the one in the video, would be jailed instead of the hacker for hacking someone's privacy.”

A fourth tweeted, “I dont stan #Gisel, I know she made a mistake, but make her in jail because of her own sex tape she didnt spread, surely, a clown.” And a fifth wrote, “Someone whose sex tape got leaked don't deserve punishment from the law. They didn't create it for public consumption. They're victims.”

A look at her life in photos

Catch a few more pictures of the singing sensation here: