Businessman Lalit Modi has defended former partner Sushmita Sen against the ‘gold digger’ label that followed their public relationship announcement in 2022, saying the criticism directed at her was unfair. Speaking in a recent conversation with Humans of Bombay, Modi said Sen was financially independent, self-made and never dependent on him. He even called himself a “kept boyfriend.”
Modi also looked back on their relationship with affection, saying she remains a dear friend and was an important part of his life. He also recalled the Instagram post that made headlines in 2022, describing it as an impulsive decision that led to a reaction neither of them had expected.
On ‘gold digger’ tag
Defending Sen, Modi said she had built her success on her own. He said, “Sushmita is a beautiful, successful and self-made woman. She has more diamonds than almost anyone I know, and she earned everything herself. She even had diamond stores.”
The former IPL chairman also said the Aarya actor was never financially dependent on him during their time together. “There wasn’t a time when we went out and I had to pay for anything, she paid for everything. I was like a kept boyfriend,” he said.
Modi said Sen never liked accepting things from others and that the label used against her was completely misplaced. “She would never accept anything from anybody. So when people called her a gold digger, that was completely wrong,” he said.
Looking back at the relationship
Reflecting on their bond, Modi said Sen had a strong influence on him during an important phase of his life. “Sushmita was very special to me. She helped me grow into many of the things I am today and was an extremely important part of my life at that time. It was a very special relationship,” he said.
Even though they are no longer together, Modi said he continues to hold her in high regard and values the time they spent together. “I have the fondest memories of her and she’s still a very dear friend. I wish her nothing but the best. She’s an amazing woman and what she has done as a single mother to her daughters, Renee and Alisah, is remarkable,” he added.
The 2022 Instagram post
Modi also spoke about the Instagram post that drew widespread attention in 2022, saying it was not a planned announcement. Recalling the moment, he said, “I did it right in front of her. She didn’t think I would actually post it. We were arguing about something on the plane and she said, ‘You’re not going to post this.’ I laughed and pressed the button.”
According to him, the reaction was immediate and much bigger than either of them had anticipated. “By the time we landed, all hell had broken loose. But there was nothing wrong with it. She never asked me to take it down, and I never considered doing that,” he said.
Modi said he does not regret sharing the post publicly. “It really did break the internet. For a few days, it seemed like that’s all anyone was talking about. But we had a beautiful story and I don’t regret a single minute of it,” he said.
Sushmita Sen on trolls
After their relationship became widely discussed online, Sen responded to the criticism in an Instagram post of her own. Addressing those who called her a ‘gold digger’, she wrote that she preferred diamonds and bought them herself. In his latest remarks, Modi reiterated that the criticism against her was wrong and recalled both their relationship and the 2022 post as significant parts of that period in his life.
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