Lalit Modi Breaks Silence on Gold Digger Claim
Nearly four years after their relationship became one of Bollywood’s biggest talking points, former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has finally spoken up in defense of Sushmita Sen, fiercely rejecting the ‘gold digger’ tag that followed her after their 2022 PDA-filled vacation photos went viral. In a candid chat with Humans of Bombay, Modi didn’t hold back, even hilariously reversing the narrative on himself.
‘Sushmita is very beautiful, a very well-to-do lady. She has more diamonds than anybody I have known on this planet. She’s a very wealthy lady. She has done it on her own. There was a time when I went out with her and didn’t have to pay for anything. She paid for everything. I was like a kept boyfriend. She’s a remarkable, self-made lady,’ he said. And just in case the jab wasn’t clear, he added, ‘If we can say, Sushmita was not a gold digger, Lalit was a diamond digger. And she was the diamond.’
His remarks come after Sushmita herself hit back at critics in an Instagram post, writing, ‘I dig deeper than gold… and I’ve always (famously) preferred diamonds!! And yes I still buy them myself!!!’ She called out ‘the so-called intellectuals with their idiosyncrasies’ and ‘the ignorant with their cheap and at times funny gossip.’
How It All Began: The Maldives Post That Broke the Internet
It was July 2022 when Modi dropped a series of vacation pics from the Maldives and Sardinia, calling Sushmita his ‘better half.’ The internet went into a frenzy, with fans and trolls both weighing in. But according to Modi, the post was almost never made. ‘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,’ he recalled. ‘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 later clarified that the two were not married, just dating, and that a wedding might happen someday. Reflecting on the chaos, Modi said, ‘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.’
What Critics Missed About Sushmita Sen
Industry insiders have long known that Sushmita Sen, a former Miss Universe and successful actor, built her fortune independently through films, endorsements, and business ventures. Modi’s comments now publicly confirm what many close to her have said: she’s not someone who depends on anyone financially. ‘She would never accept anything from anybody. So when people called her a gold digger, that was completely wrong,’ he stressed.
With her strong response and Modi’s full-throated support, the ‘gold digger’ label appears to have been firmly put to rest. As Sushmita herself put it, ‘The friends I never had and the acquaintances I’ve never met… all sharing their grand opinions and deep knowledge of my life and character… monetising the ‘gold digger’ all the way!!! Ah these geniuses!!!’