THE speculation swirling around the health of Salim Mehajer’s relationship with wife Aysha continues to grow with the emergence of a cheesy, romantic video featuring another woman.
On Wednesday night, Mr Mehajer tried to hose down rumours of a rift with his wife taking to social media to implore media not to write off his marriage based on “old photosâ€.
But Aysha herself has done nothing to stop the breakup questions, apparently reverting to using her maiden name.
A video showing Mr Mehajer, who was Deputy Mayor of western Sydney’s Auburn Council until all the councillors were sacked in February, with a woman identified as ‘Hooda’ was aired on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair on Wednesday night.
The video, essentially a flip book of images of the pair, shows Mr Mehajer and Hooda embracing and, in some images, kissing.
Hooda bears a striking resemblance to Mr Mehajer’s wife.
Across the photos are a series of captions, some seemingly plucked from a greetings card.
“God sent me an angel†is daubed across one image, apparently a selfie by Hooda as Salim snoozes behind.
“My soulmate,†says one. “The moment I fell in love,†another.
Illegal activities seem to be a theme. One picture has the caption “My partner in crime,†and another, worryingly, says “would kill for himâ€.
“I be his bonnie, he be my clyde [sic]â€, is written across an image of the couple, Salim’s hand around Hooda’s waist, a reference to the notorious US criminal couple of the 1930s who came to a sticky end.
“Salzie†is on one image, perhaps a nickname for Mr Mehajer.
Many of the images appear to have been taken on the same day judging by the lack of variety in the clothes being worn.
A date of November 2014 crops up a number of times. If Mr Mehajer and Hooda were indeed an item at that time it would have been when he was already betrothed to his bride-to-be.
The Mehajers wed in a lavish ceremony in Lidcombe, in Sydney’s west, in August 2015 that included fast cars, helicopters and closed down an entire street.
The video, ACA claimed, was circulated online between people who knew Mr Mehajer the day after the wedding with Hooda being employed by one of the groom’s companies.
In recent weeks, speculation has plagued the Mehajer’s that their relationship has faltered. Mr Mehajer, in an apparent attempt to counteract the whispers, has been busy posting images of he and his wife.
But none seem to be new and she has not been seen at the house they share for some time.
Last week, he held an extravagant 30th birthday party for Aysha which included shelling out $50,000 for US musicians Tyga and Omarion to attend.
The rappers took happy snaps on the mini-mansion’s illuminated spiral staircase and posed with a birthday cake.
The only thing missing? The birthday girl.
Although, it was thought she had dropped by, it later turned out a bevy of Mr Mehajer’s sister had actually been mistaken for Mrs Mehajer.
On his Facebook page last night Mr Mehajer posted a picture of his wedding day, a beaming bride beside him, with the words “Dear media, Don’t judge me based on old photos. Only God and indeed death can do us apart.â€
But the memo about not parting may not have reached Mrs Mehajer.
ACA approached her for an interview. She politely declined but signed off the email ‘Aysha Learmonth’.
Learmonth, of course, being her maiden name. The mystery around the marriage of the Mehajers continues to play out.