Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva announced her divorce from her businessman husband Timur Tillyaev. Sharing the personal update with her followers on Instagram she posted a photograph of herself in a lift holding a large bouquet of flowers to mark the beginning of a new chapter.
Channelling pop star Miley Cyrus in her caption the former diplomat embraced her newly single status with a positive outlook:
«Buying myself flowers. Choosing myself. Officially divorced. Happily so. I took Miley’s advice and bought myself flowers. Looking forward to growth, freedom and a life that feels beautifully mine.»
A 27-year partnership comes to an end
The couple had been married for more than 27 years. During their nearly three decades together they welcomed three children: Mariam, Safiya and Umar. At this time the former spouses have chosen to keep the specific reasons for their separation private and no further details regarding the divorce proceedings have been disclosed.
Born in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent in 1978 Karimova-Tillyaeva built a diverse career. After completing her higher education in the fields of international law and psychology she transitioned into diplomacy and famously served as Uzbekistan’s permanent delegate to UNESCO.
Philanthropy and family parallels
Beyond her diplomatic career a significant portion of Karimova-Tillyaeva’s public life has been dedicated to charitable causes focusing on child welfare. In 2002 she and Tillyaev co-founded the «You Are Not Alone» foundation which provides crucial support for orphans and children left without parental care. She later played an active role in the Centre for the Social Adaptation of Children and expanded her professional portfolio by launching the luxury fragrance brand The Harmonist.
The news of the divorce echoes recent events in the life of her eldest daughter Mariam Tillyaeva. Having built her own public profile through social media and appearances on Russian reality television Mariam also recently navigated a highly publicised separation. Her marriage to well-known blogger Amiran Sardarov ended in divorce just three years after their wedding.
