Samantha Ruth Prabhu, celebrated for her stellar performances, recently opened up about the intense trolling she endured following her 2021 divorce from Naga Chaitanya. Despite being bombarded with harsh judgments and swirling rumours, Samantha chose to remain silent rather than directly address the falsehoods.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu opens up on her divorce with Naga Chaitanya
In an interview with Galatta India, she discussed the societal challenges women face, especially in patriarchal settings where the fallout of a relationship often leads to excessive 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," Samantha shared.
The actress recalled the untruths spread about her during the divorce, which further fueled the online abuse. However, she resolved not to let these lies dictate her response.
“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 confessed.
What stopped Samantha from telling the truth?
Although tempted to set the record straight, Samantha ultimately refrained. She described her internal dialogue during this period, questioning the value of addressing the rumours. “You gain a bunch of people who are so fickle, they may love you for a minute, and then maybe like three days later, you do something stupid and they go back to hating you again," she explained.
Instead, she chose to find solace in the support of her inner 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," she elaborated.
Samantha reflected on her lifelong desire for validation, acknowledging that she has since learned to embrace herself without needing public approval. “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," she concluded.
Meanwhile, Naga Chaitanya is set to marry actress Sobhita Dhulipala on December 4 at Annapurna Studios. The couple, who dated for two years, got engaged in August this year. Fans often spotted them on vacations, but they kept their relationship private until their engagement.