Dewi Sukarno

Dewi Sukarno is a colourful character who lives off her attitude, outspokenness and ego. She has often appeared on Japanese TV talk shows and variety programs to inform, provoke and attack, which has made her hated, admired and sued. She lost her father while at junior high school and determined to help her mother and sibling. She dreamt of being an opera singer or an actress. Born Nemoto Naoko in Tokyo, she supplemented her day job income at the Chiyoda Life Insurance company by being a hostess at Kokusai Club in Akasaka, Tokyo and at Ginza, Tokyo. Here she met many rich and famous Japanese and foreigners until parlaying it into becoming the fifth wife of the head of Indonesia, Sukarno, at the age of nineteen in 1959. She was a Roman Catholic and converted to Islam. The 57-year-old was on a state visit to Japan and had perhaps fallen in love with the Japanese girl for her below the waistline hair - or 35-year age difference. He built her a mansion. Ignoring the other three or so wives who followed she had a daughter with the man who ended up being overthrown rendering the former Mrs. Sukarno an international jet setter and socialite. Her husband was overthrown following a covert coup with military and CIA support that was blamed on the communists. She moved to France, back to Indoensia and then the USA where she spent time with native tribes. She got into a fight with Filipina socialite Minnie Osmeña in the US, which landed her in jail. Her step daughter took over the reins in Indonesia. She was 53 when in 1993 she published a photo book of her semi-nude photographs, which among other things, still managed to offend the sensibilities of the Indonesians. The book was banned until it wasn't and when several of the photos began appearing in Indonesian tabloids the whole thing landed in court. She continued to make television and gossip column appearances not the least because Japan tax authorities demanded she pay approximately $500,000 (CDN) in back taxes. These include investigations for her charity. She was threatened with legal action for slapping another guest while on the TBS channel. Aside from appearing on television and commentary, the former first Lady spends time taking care of her dogs, running a cosmetics business, releasing books and denying ever having undergone the blade of cosmetic surgery.