BORIS JOHNSON, INDIANORIGIN WIFE ANNOUNCE SEPARATION

LONDON: Boris Johnson, who hit the headlines by resigning as UK foreign secretary in July over the Brexit plan of Prime Minister Theresa May, is going through a divorce after separating from his Indian-origin wife Marina Wheeler, it was announced on Friday.

A former journalist, Johnson, 54, and senior lawyer Wheeler, also 54, were married for 25 years. They made the announcement in a joint statement after the tabloid press splashed stories of them living separate lives.

Johnson is accused in the stories of being unfaithful, an accusation he has faced on several occasions during his marriage to Wheeler, who is the daughter of British journalist Charles Wheeler and Dip Singh.

In the statement issued through a family friend, Johnson and Wheeler said: “Several months ago, after 25 years of marriage, we decided it was in our best interests to separate.

“We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way. As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further.”

Johnson and Wheeler attended the 70th anniversary event of the Indian Journalists Association on August 15, 2017, when he characteristically mixed humour with self-deprecation, but asked journalists to “speak truth to power”. Johnson and Wheeler were reported to be living apart and not socialising as a couple for some time.