Sultan Kösen, the world's tallest man, has opened up about divorcing his wife after 8 years of marriage, saying differences, health problems and the pressure of public life led to the split.
The tallest man in the world, Sultan Kosen, divorced PHOTO Facebook / Guinness World Records
Sultan Kösen, considered the tallest man in the world, spoke openly about why his marriage ended, regretfully confessing: “I'm very sad”writes Mirror.co.uk
The 43-year-old Turk is 2.51 meters tall, while his ex-wife, Merve Dibo, is around 1.67 meters tall. The man, 17-year Guinness World Records holder, married the young woman of Syrian origin in 2013. At that time he said that he loved her immensely and that his biggest dream was to start a family.
At their wedding, a grand event with around 1,500 guests, he excitedly declared: “When I looked into her eyes I knew it was love”.
Merve was only 20 years old at the time, and a few months after the wedding, the first rumors of problems in the couple appeared.
However, Sultan denied these speculations at the time, publicly stating: “Every day five or six people call me and ask me if it's true that my wife left me. It's not true, my wife is here by my side. I want everyone to see that.”
And Merve supported the same version: “There is no such thing. I want to stay with him for the rest of my life. I am the happiest woman in the world.”
The reasons that led to the divorce
However, Sultan Kösen, who suffers from gigantism and acromegaly caused by a pituitary tumor, recently spoke in a Channel 4 documentary about the 2021 divorce.
He explained with pain: “I couldn't go on. My wife chose her family. We divorced. Our happiness didn't last long.”
Looking at the wedding photos, he added: “When I remember that moment, I'm very sad, because it hurt so much and I loved her so much. When I look at these pictures, I get emotional. I'm very sorry.”
The pressure of health issues, family and public attention took their toll, and the two ended up going their separate ways.
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The tallest man in the world, Sultan Kosen PHOTO Facebook / Guinness World Records
He wants a new relationship
Originally from Turkey, from a family of farmers of average stature, Sultan says he would like a new relationship that would make him “happiest man in the world”but he does not know if this will happen again.
Because of his condition, he has been using crutches or a wheelchair since the age of 25 and lives with constant pain caused by pressure on his knees.
Over time, he underwent three leg surgeries and three other brain interventions to control his growth spurt symptoms.
“If I could change anything in my life, I would only change my knees. I would like to be able to run, walk and travel more”he said.
His brother Hasan Kösen stated in the documentary that Sultan could be happier: “He spends all his free time on the computer. But if he had a girlfriend, his life might be different”.
Asked if he still wanted a partner, Sultan joked: “I'm really ugly. If I was pretty, I probably would have found someone”.
