Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who has been praised for her talents in various productions, recently spoke openly about the terrible trolling she experienced following her divorce from Naga Chaitanya in 2021. Despite severe judgement and numerous rumours, Samantha chose silence rather than tackling the lies straight on.
samantha, naga chaitanya
Samantha highlighted the cultural problems that women endure, particularly in patriarchal situations where any marital breakdown is generally subjected to intense scrutiny.
“Unfortunately, we live in a society which is so patriarchal in nature, that anytime something goes wrong, a woman gets subjected to… I’m not saying men don’t, men do, but a woman gets subjected to a lot more judgment and a lot more shaming, not just online, even in real life," she told Galatta India.
The actress explained how false information was spread about her throughout her divorce, which exacerbated the internet hatred. But she was determined not to let the falsehoods define her.
“Many things were said about me that were absolutely untrue. But what held me back, I remember having this conversation with myself when things were really, really crappy and they were really, really… absolute lies were being spread. And there were many times when I wanted to come out and say, this is not true, let me tell you the truth," she admitted.
Ultimately, she found peace in holding her truth within her circle. “Can you not live with the fact that your friends and your family know the truth? And it’s okay. If people think that you think all of these things that are not true about you, isn’t it okay? It’s fine," Samantha described.
She feels that her troubles have always sprung from a need for approval. However, she has learnt to accept herself without seeking acceptance from the public. “All my life I wanted to be loved and validated and appreciated. It’s okay. So yeah, I mean, I still haven’t said anything. So whoever believes, whatever they believe, it’s up to them."
Following his divorce from Samantha, Naga Chaitanya plans to marry actress Sobhita Dhulipala. The couple got engaged in August and will marry on December 4 at Annapurna Studios.
Chaitanya dated Sobhita for two years before getting engaged to her in August of this year. Fans frequently saw the pair on vacation, but they only made it official after their engagement.