Sabah, the Lebanese octogenarian queen, our darling singing and acting classic diva, who was born the less exotic 'Janet', soon shed her given names, Gergi Fighali, in favor of the stage name Sabah. She is among the most prolific Arab singers, with a reported 3,500 songs to her repertoire. Prolific in entertainment and in her private life too- through much publicised multiple marriages.
Reportedly married a good 9 times, the figure is disputed in the minefield of reportage and data concerning such a celebrity, who has not helped the matter by pulling off a few stunt marriages just to keep us on our toes!
At 85, and from a traditional society who are happy to receive her creative output but would rather she kept her marriages down to a moderate figure. Yet she is forgiven her share of marriage misshaps and embraced by her fans because she is (pet-named or diminutive) “Sabbouha” or “Al Shahroura,” or the singing bird, and can get away with it.
And doesn't she know it: In 2003, she pulled off a hoax marriage to Amr Mihio ("Mr. Lebanon"). When the relationship ended in 2004, she admitted that it had been a stunt to propel Amr's fledgling acting career.
April 2008, a publication with supporting photos announced that she got married to Joseph Gharib, her hair dresser of 17 years. It was later revealed that she was only pulling an April Fool's joke on the public. Again more recently, the news was reversed as it transpired she had sealed a genuine tie with him by marriage in 2011. The jury is out (see Disclaimer below) on her current total sum of marriages.
Her longest affair though apparently not 'largest' love was to Fadi Kuntar (alias or screen name is Fadi Lubnan, so another Mr. Lebanon for her portfolio), their marriage spanning a healthy 17 years. Perhaps a clash of Titans or of artistic temperaments or the Titans, her shortest liason, though 'biggest' love, was with Rushdy Abaza, spawning a marriage of just reportedly 3 days. It seems you can't measure a love by the length of the marriage any longer. Some sources suggest alternative 'big' loves. Maybe she changes her mind on her favorites. With only 2 children she's presented with less options for preferential treatment fortunately.
Disclaimer: Because of her multiple marriages and add to that the practical joke ones for good measure, there are conflicting sources relating to her marriage data and inconsistency in the reporting of names and lengths, even order of, marriages. Some information circulating states 11 weddings, some 8 and some 9. A report suggests she married early this month for the 8th time (to that very hair-dresser) and made records for her ripe-aged union, at 85. Herewith, we have compiled within reason or best estimates, her alleged 9 hubsands.
As per presentation of this wedding parade, for easy viewing, we have chosen chronilogical order over nationality: Their nationalities fall largely into 2 camps- Egyptian and Lebanese, with one Gulf member of this exclusive 'husband of Sabah Club'.
