Husband fined for saving ex-wife’s name as ‘Chubby’ in his phone

A Turkish man’s divorce from his ex-wife has set a legal precedent in the country’s court system because he saved her name as ‘Chubby’ in his phone’s contacts.

Nicknames can be given in good fun and act as an affectionate way to address someone you care about… but the nickname a Turkish man gave to his now ex-wife is going viral for its mean-spirited intention.

In October 2025, a couple’s separation made its way to Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals after it was first heard at a local family court in Usak.

The mutual divorce case saw both parties hoping to separate from each other, with the wife claiming her husband had sent her a string of insulting text messages. Local news outlets shared some of the texts, which included jabs like “Get lost, I don’t want to see your face,” and “Let the devil see your face.”

On top of that, the court found that he’d also saved her name in his phone as ‘Tombik,’ the Turkish word for “chubby.” With this evidence in mind, the local court found him guilty of emotional abuse — a ruling that Turkey’s 2nd Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld.

“A spouse’s derogatory, mocking, or unpleasant characterization of the other is contrary to the obligation to respect the marital union. Such behavior constitutes a fault,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling.

“Even when you save your spouse’s name in your contacts, do not exceed the limit of respect.”

Although Turkish courts previously considered text messages and social media posts as admissible evidence, this particular divorce has set legal precedent for future cases, determining that contact names can also be used as evidence.

As reported by local news outlet Memur Hukuk, Turkey’s Civil Code decrees that spouses are “obligated to show loyalty, respect, and understanding towards each other.” This latest ruling shows that this now applies not only to verbal or physical actions, but also to private communications.

The husband had countersued his ex-wife after she filed for the divorce and accused her of infidelity. However, the court found no sufficient evidence of an affair and ordered him to increase payments for both child support and alimony.