'Fat' Taiwanese granted divorce after wife charged him for intimacy
A court in Taiwan has granted a man after his wife allegedly demanded money from him every time he wanted sex. The couple, identified by pseudonyms Hao and Xuan, had been married since 2014 and have two children together. Their relationship reportedly deteriorated over the years, with Xuan reducing their sexual intimacy to once a month in 2017 and completely stopping it in 2019 without providing any explanation.
Previous divorce attempt withdrawn
Hao initially filed for divorce in 2021 after Xuan allegedly told their relatives that he was "too fat" and "incompetent." However, he withdrew the lawsuit when Xuan promised to improve their relationship. In a show of trust, Hao even transferred their property to her name. Despite this, Hao claimed that Xuan continued to emotionally abuse him and began charging him NT$500 (US$15) each time he wanted to have sex or even converse with her.
Couple's communication limited to messaging app
According to Hao, by the time he filed for divorce again in 2024, the couple had not spoken to each other for two years and only communicated via a messaging app when necessary. The court granted Hao's request for divorce, citing that their relationship was "cold and difficult to fix." Xuan appealed against the divorce, but it was rejected by a higher court.
Similar cases reported in Taiwan
Shockingly, similar cases have been reported in Taiwan. In 2014, a wife charged her husband NT$2,000 (US$60) for sex and set fees for chats and meals because he made no financial contribution to the family. Their children also demanded payment from their father for conversations. Taiwan has one of the highest divorce rates in Asia with a rate of 0.218% last year.
