Sitting in a room in a hotel in South Jakarta is a 17-year-old girl who has travelled the world, married a prince and run away, and whose face is now famous across Indonesia. Her story is so extraordinary that it is hard to believe. Her fairytale-to-nightmare claims of a whirlwind marriage, kidnapping, abuse and escape have gripped the public, overshadowing the Ambalat row with Malaysia, upstaging the presidential election.
Used to the company of older men, a 16-year-old Manohara last August married the 30-year-old Fakhry, a Kelantan prince. Two months later, she flew home complaining of abuse, then went back late last year. This February, she claims, she was abducted in a jet after a pilgrimage to Jeddah. Her mother, left behind, went public with the tale in April, pleading for her return. On May 31 Manohara made her great escape: in Singapore with her husband, she got out of her hotel and fled to Jakarta. In the latest twist, the prince this Thursday filed a police report in Malaysia, calling the stories of abuse “false allegations”. For many, though, the best part of the story is where Manohara goes next: I keep smiling, she says, and showbiz opportunities are opening up … 
But how did this whirlwind get whipped up? Who is or was the girl behind the claims? These edited extracts from our exclusive interview give an insight into how the Manohara saga came into being.
Who is Manohara?
I was born in Jakarta, February 28, 1992, [during] my mother’s second marriage. My biological father is from the US, but I haven’t had any contact with him. I tried making contact with him, which I regret. My father that I consider, Reiner Pinot, he’s a great guy. I didn’t miss out much on a father because of him.
MORE: http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/manohara-tells-everything/
MORE MORE: http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/a-quick-access-to-manohara-odelia-pinots-stories/