Lejla Filipović poses with actor who left pregnant wife; Croatian actress once fainted over him

Lejla Filipović, wife of renowned Croatian actor Tarik Filipović and a former Miss of Bosnia and Herzegovina, recently delighted fans by sharing a photograph with Turkish actor Halit Ergenç. Ergenç is widely recognized for his leading roles in the popular series "One Thousand and One Nights" and "Suleiman the Magnificent."

Filipović posted the encounter on Instagram, eliciting an enthusiastic response from admirers of Turkish television dramas. The image brought back memories for many viewers of Ergenç's significant popularity in Croatia and the wider region during the peak of these series. He first gained widespread recognition as Onur Aksal in "One Thousand and One Nights," where he starred opposite his now-wife, Bergüzar Korel.

Ergenç's fame in Croatia extended to a major advertising campaign. In a 2010 television commercial, Croatian actress Marijana Mikulić played a fan dreaming of a romantic encounter with him. The advertisement depicted her waking up from the dream only to meet him in a store the next day, leading to comedic situations. The commercial generated significant buzz at the time, as Ergenç and Korel visited Zagreb for its filming.

While Mikulić acted alongside Ergenç in the commercial, his wife Bergüzar Korel also appeared in the campaign, with whom the Croatian audience was equally familiar. The real-life love story between Halit Ergenç and Bergüzar Korel garnered considerable attention, often rivaling the interest in their on-screen performances. They played a married couple, Onur and Şehrazat, in "One Thousand and One Nights," and their on-screen chemistry translated into a real-life relationship. They married in 2009 and are now parents to three children: sons Ali and Han, and daughter Leyla.

Their relationship began under controversial circumstances. Ergenç and Korel were both in other relationships when they met on the set of "One Thousand and One Nights." Ergenç was married to actress Gizem Soysaldı, while Korel was dating Tan Sağtürk. Rumors of their closeness emerged in 2008, and after Ergenç's divorce and Korel's breakup, their romance became public. The circumstances surrounding Ergenç's first divorce were particularly scrutinized in interviews given by his ex-wife Gizem Soysaldı.