The Bahraini Princess and the Marine

[Humera]

Princess and former Marine file for divorce

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 Posted: 3:38 PM EST (2038 GMT)



Meriam Al-Khalifa Johnson and Jason Johnson talk to a reporter in this January 2001 file photo.




LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- The five-year marriage is over between a former Marine and a young Bahraini royal whose story provided the basis for a made-for-television movie, "The Princess and the Marine."

"It was what she wanted," Jason Johnson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal of the divorce he and Meriam Al-Khalifa filed for November 17, the day after their fifth wedding anniversary. It calls them "incompatible in marriage."

Johnson, who had sneaked his beloved into the United States and was court-martialed over the relationship, cast the tale as a "Romeo and Juliet" love affair that disintegrated amid Las Vegas nightlife, opposition by his wife's family, and at least one death threat.

The story started in January 1999 when Johnson was stationed in Bahrain, an island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Al-Khalifa is one of five daughters of Sheik Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, a distant relative of Bahrain's king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

They met at a mall and fell in love, though he was a Mormon and she was a Muslim, forbidden to marry a non-Muslim.

Her family ordered an end to the romance. They continued to secretly exchange letters through a store employee at the mall.

Johnson spirited Al-Khalifa to the United States when his tour of duty ended in November 1999, using forged documents and a disguise including a New York Yankees baseball cap.

Johnson was court-martialed for his role, demoted and discharged from the Marines. Al-Khalifa sought political asylum in the United States.

The couple married in Las Vegas on November 16, 1999. He was 23. She was 19.

The story made headlines. Besides the TV movie, the couple made the rounds of television talk shows. They rented an apartment in Las Vegas and lived off money from the movie. Johnson got a job as a parking valet on the Las Vegas Strip.

He described constant tension with Al-Khalifa's family, and said the FBI once told him they'd intercepted a man who said he'd been paid $500,000 to assassinate her.

Johnson said Al-Khalifa plunged into Las Vegas nightlife, partying with her friends and ignoring him.

About a year ago, Johnson said, Al-Khalifa left him. He lives now in Las Vegas with his stepmother.

"Deep down inside, she knows that I loved her more than anything in the world," Johnson said. "I can say I enjoyed every minute I spent with her."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/30/pri....ap/index.html

[La la]

Thanks for the article! I'm still a little unclear about what happened between the two of them. I was under the impression that they were separated since years back. I also recall reading she went back to Bahrain in the wake of 9/11 and someone told me she was 'pardoned' by the King. What a pity it didn't work out.

[Humera]

yeah the article mentions that she left him a year ago

[Banadoora]

I'd heard about this but I thought that they'd split up a long time ago. Nice article though.

[Humera]

I wonder if she was homesick. Maybe she missed her old life.

[MoonlightRhapsody]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

I wonder if she was homesick. Maybe she missed her old life.

Or that maybe she loves her new life a bit much. Now, I know it's not concrete, but it was mentioned that she had entered the party life of Las Vegas. I guess she's enjoying the life she wouldn't have been able to have back in Bahrain, but living in Las Vegas might have been the breaking point. It isn't called "Sin City" for nothing...

[Humera]

Originally Posted by Moonlightrhapsody

Or that maybe she loves her new life a bit much. Now, I know it's not concrete, but it was mentioned that she had entered the party life of Las Vegas. I guess she's enjoying the life she wouldn't have been able to have back in Bahrain, but living in Las Vegas might have been the breaking point. It isn't called "Sin City" for nothing...

Perhaps she's a bit of a rebel. Marrying a non-Muslim American was a pretty rebellious thing to do. Las Vegas is certainly an outlet for such a person.
It is sad, though, to see their marriage break up. Especially when you consider the risks she took. Considering the countless talk shows the couple appeared on after their marriage, one would've thought that they'd be married forever!

[Amira]

too bad it didn't work out between them :(

[Banadoora]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

I wonder if she was homesick. Maybe she missed her old life.

Going out and partying every night is hardly missing her old life.

[Banadoora]

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/82...1C2B4B65FFD231

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/82...D2F87637210EE4

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/51...C30E9B9B114CE8

here's a picture of them with marc paul gosselar and another actress who played in the tv movie about them.
http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/82...94BF1D36375CA2

[Humera]

I guess the tv movie was a little premature!
They should've waited until the divorce.

[Lady Jennifer]

I hope I've put this in the right place.

On Lifetime TV (in the USA- don't know if other countries get Lifetime) tonight at 9pm they are showing the tv movie "The Princess and the Marine". It has Mark-Paul Gosselaar & Marisol Nichols in it.....it dates from 2001...just thought I'd share. :)

[rextrev]

Thanks for passing on the info!


Go ISU

[Humera]

is this about that Arab Princess?
too bad they're divorced.

[Lady Jennifer]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

is this about that Arab Princess?
too bad they're divorced.

Yea it was. I had never seen it before. I had never heard the story either (I don't think) until they were getting a divorce. I think the husband went on a divorce court tv show to get the divorce (Judge Mabaline or something like that.)

[princess2]

Oh boy i wantet to see that movie sooooooooooo bad. But we are stationed in Germany so we don`t have LIfetime. They once showed it in AFN but I had to leave so I didn`t see all off it. Ever since I`m trying to find that movie and can`t get it. I was also hoping AFN would show it again but until now they didn`t:( .

[sara1981]

i have cable at my home but i missed that show i would get that show again i hope so!

Sara Boyce