Samantha responds to being called 'second hand' after divorce: 'Lies were spread'

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, one of the most talented and versatile actresses of the South Indian film industry, has opened up about the societal pressures and judgements she faced after her divorce from Telugu star Naga Chaitanya. In a recent interview, Samantha addressed the issue of being labelled "second-hand" after her divorce, highlighting the deep-rooted patriarchy and gender discrimination prevalent in Indian society.

Talk about divorce 

“When a woman goes through a divorce, there is a lot of shame and stigma attached. I get a lot of comments like 'second hand,' 'used' and 'ruined life'. You are pushed into a corner where you must feel like you are a failure that you were once married and not anymore and believe me, it can be really tough for families and girls who have gone through it,” Samantha said in an interview with Galata India.

With conviction in her voice, she said she has healed and is now in a happy place. "I'm so happy right now. I've grown so much and I'm doing incredible things and I'm looking forward to the next phase of my life," she said. Samantha also explained how she felt the need to criticize people who were passing judgement against her and spreading misinformation during the divorce, but she resisted.

False stories were spread 

"There were so many things said about me that were absolutely untrue. There were times when I felt like saying, 'That's not true, I'll tell you the truth'. But, when things were bad and absolute lies were being spread, why was I stopped from doing that - I remember having this conversation with myself. 'Okay, you're tempted to tell your side of the story. What do you gain from that?

You get a lot of people who are very fickle. You tell your story, and they love you for a minute and three days later, if you do something stupid, they start hating you. I wanted to resist that. 'Can't you live with the fact that your friends and family know the truth?' I wanted to fight the desire to be validated by people. My whole life, all I wanted was to be loved and validated. I decided to turn it around," she concluded.

More information 

Chaitanya and Samantha dated for a few years before having a fairytale wedding in Goa in 2017. In 2021, they announced their separation without giving any reason. Chaitanya has moved on and found love in actor Sobhita Dhulipala. Fans have often spotted the couple on vacations, but they made it official only after their engagement. Chaitanya is set to marry Sobhita on December 4 at Annapurna Studios. They got engaged in August 2024 

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