This is the rest of the interview of Ayman El Dahabi:

In what way?
In every way possible, and I speak of her as a manager, and producer, not as a former husband. I have the right to speak of any artist, and I speak of Ahlam, Nawal, and Magida [El Roumi] in the same way I speak of Asalah. I speak of the matters that do not appeal to in her work. In her last [which meant "Hayati" at the time of this interview], I only liked "Aktar" and "Arod Leih".

She has a great song by [singer/songwriter/composer] Marwan Khoury in her album, and she didn't shoot a video clip for it.
She is free to do whatever she wants, and [sarcastically] "Ma Sha' Allah" her husband [director Tarek Alarian] butts into every tiny detail of her work. Whatever song appeals to him, he shoots. Also, he has become the hero in all her video clips, missing her and kissing her on camera. Her husband is a real lover boy, and may God grant you both success.

These public displays of affection, do they not mean that they are both deeply in love?!
What love? These two don't even know the meaning of love. They love their work together, that's all.

This is a sort of promotion perhaps?
Promotion for what?

Promotion of her new life.
[Angrily replies] Excuse me, there are boundaries. There are kids in the equation [Asalah holds custody of her and Ayman's kids]. She should care for her children's feelings, they do not like what she is doing. I do not ask her to look out for her audience. I ask her to look out for her two children.

She is kissing her husband, not a strange man.
But she has two children, she should look out for their feelings. Am I right?

Are you jealous?
I used to be jealous over her.

And when did this jealousy end?
After I decided to divorce her two years ago.

After Asalah became someone else's wife, did you not feel any regret?
No, I did not, but I was surprised at how fast she got married, a day after the "Eada" [the four-month period in which a divorcee/widow cannot have relationships with men]. Her decision was rushed, and her choice was wrong, in my opinion. If she had married a good man, why would I have been so saddened? If she had taken her time and not married a mere day after the "Eada", she wouldn't have caused so many questions to arise around her marriage.

It is said that Asalah saw you cheat on her in her own home. This scene was recreated in her video clip for "Asfa". What would you expect from an injured woman who wants her pride back?
This video clip was my last production for her. The lyrics and music were chosen by me, and the lyricist Hani Abdelkarim & composer Walid Saad are my witnesses. I was with her during the shoot, and there was not a single misunderstanding. Do you think I am naive enough to bring a strange woman into my home the moment my wife leaves for the market?

So you believe the video clip's idea is stupid?
Yes, very stupid.

So why did you accept it?
The director [Salim El Turk] presented the idea and she accepted it, little did I know she would turn it against me.

Did Asalah say that the clip was a part of a real-life event?
I did not hear her say that, but this quote was taken advantage of by the media to make her appear as the victim.

Did you truly cheat on Asalah?
Yes, and if I could change time, I would've cheated on her again, and again.

What justified you to cheat on her?
I have my reasons.

What reasons could justify a husband to cheat on his wife?
I do not like to bring up Asalah. I hate talking about her now, but I wanted this question asked. If a woman enters the bedroom with her husband once every five months, that justifies infidelity.

Did you love her?
Yes.

Did she love you?
No.

I remember your appearance many years ago on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". You were the model happy couple.
She knew how to act in love.

Doesn't this mean she is a good mother, since she took custody of the children?
No, she is not a good mother. They do not live with her in one house. They live with their grandmother and aunt and she lives with her husband. The children will be in Beirut tomorrow, and I await their return so that they feel they are a part of a family again.

Do you not fear for them in Lebanon's current situation?
No, Lebanon is perfectly fine, and what happens to the Lebanese happens to us.

What will make you forget all of this sorrow?
When I find new love, and I've practically found it.

Is she a singer?
Yes, and a famous one, too.

Will you marry?
Yes.

Will you ask your children their opinion on the matter?
No, because they will surely refuse.

My take: Without a doubt, you can see the anger in Ayman's tone. He blames Asalah for his problems, after he cheated on her! He also has the audacity to say that he'd do it again. Whomever this "singer" he's is dating may be, she must have hit her head and had a concussion. This is a man who caused her to resort to smoking and anti-depression pills. As for his bashing of her album "Hayati", it is the first production he didn't have his hands on, and coincidentally, her most successful album sales-wise. Asalah's mother and sister have lived with her in the same house with her children for many years, she covers every expense. Her new Cairo home accommodates all of them.

By Ahmed

Ayman El Dahabi: I Wish I Cheated More on Asalah! (Part 1 of the Interview)