Mumbai: Popular South actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Akkineni announced their separation on Saturday (October 2). The estranged couple took to social media to inform their fans that they have parted ways as husband and wife. Rumours about their split have been floating on the internet since Samantha removed the surname ‘Akkineni’ from her Instagram handle.
Naga Chaitanya’s father and veteran actor Nagarjuna expressed his grief over his son’s separation with Samantha. He posted a note on his official Facebook account and said that his family will always cherish the moments spent with the ‘Jaanu’ actress.
“With a heavy heart let me say this! What ever happened between Sam and Chay is very unfortunate. What happens between a wife and husband is very personal. Sam and Chay both are dear to me. My family will always cherish the moments spent with Sam and she will always be dear to us! May God bless them both with strength,” Nagarjuna Akkineni wrote on Facebook.
Samantha and Naga Chaitanya issued a statement to confirm their separation. They requested the fans and media to respect their privacy.
“To all our well wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thank you for your support," the statement read.
Samantha and Naga parted ways after four of marriage. They tied the knot in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on October 6, 2017 in Goa. They later got hitched as per Christian rituals on October 7 in the presence of their loved ones.
On a related note, Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao also parted ways after 15 years of marriage in July 2021. They are co-parenting their son Azad Rao.
Watch this space for more updates!