AZE.US
Azerbaijani People’s Artist, composer and lawmaker Polad Bulbuloglu has personally denied reports that he divorced Gulnara Shikhalieva and entered a third marriage.
The 81-year-old artist was contacted directly by the Azerbaijani newspaper Novoye Vremya, which sought a first-hand response to the claims circulating in local media.
Bulbuloglu, who is currently vacationing in Turkey, said the reports were untrue. He stressed that he had not divorced Shikhalieva and had not married for a third time.
He also said that after returning to Azerbaijan, he plans to seek a legal assessment of the actions of websites that published the false information.
What Was Previously Reported
AZE.US previously reported, citing Azerbaijani media, that Bulbuloglu had allegedly divorced Shikhalieva, whom he married in 1997, and entered a new marriage.
The original report by Gununsesi.info claimed that Bulbuloglu had appeared with his new wife at a music festival in Gabala and that the couple later traveled to Bodrum for a vacation. At the time, journalists said their calls and messages seeking comment from Bulbuloglu went unanswered.
Publika.az later identified the alleged new wife as Azerbaijani Honored Artist, dancer and educator Eteri Jafarova.
Born in 1978, Jafarova teaches at the Department of National and Modern Dance at the Baku Academy of Choreography and has participated in major cultural projects and state events.
Her professional collaboration with Bulbuloglu does extend back several years. In February 2025, Jafarova served as chief choreographer for “Return,” a gala at the Heydar Aliyev Palace marking Bulbuloglu’s 80th birthday. She has also appeared in choreographed performances accompanying Azerbaijani folk songs performed by him.
However, claims that their professional relationship had led to marriage were never publicly confirmed by either Bulbuloglu or Jafarova.
AZE.US noted in its earlier coverage that no official confirmation had been issued. Bulbuloglu has now directly rejected the reports, saying he remains married to Gulnara Shikhalieva and has not entered a third marriage.
AZE.US