97-Year-Old Singaporean Man Wins Legal Battle to Marry Longtime Lover Against Son's Wishes

Singapore. The life of a Singaporean elderly man, who married in 1950 and became a father of three sons, is currently a topic of global discussion. The 97-year-old man, who had been in a romantic relationship with his secretary since 1971, brought his lover into his home after his wife passed away. 

However, family conflict escalated sharply when he announced in 2021 his intention to formalize his 50-year-long relationship into marriage. Upon hearing the news that their father intended to marry at the age of 97, his second son filed a lawsuit demanding that his father be declared 'mentally unfit'.

According to the son's claim, the father developed dementia after a fall in 2017, rendering him incapable of making sound decisions, and that his lover was unduly influencing him. The elderly man, who established a chemical company in 1960 and amassed wealth worth billions, subsequently revised his will following his son's actions.

He filed a counter-suit, disinheriting his son and grandson, demanding the return of nearly $3 million and company assets. In retaliation, he also attempted to evict his own grandson from the house.

Medical evidence presented in court showed that while the elderly man experienced normal age-related forgetfulness, he was fully capable of making decisions regarding marriage and property. Judge Shobha Nair questioned the son's claim, stating, "If the father was mentally unfit, how did the same son agree to appoint his father as CEO of the company in 2019?"

The court dismissed the son's petition, finding no evidence that the elderly man, who had been in a relationship with the same woman for 50 years, had been defrauded or exploited by anyone.

Although the court ruled in favor of the elderly man, his son has appealed, meaning the groom-to-be at 97 will have to wait a little longer for his dream wedding.