New Delhi: Businessman and former chairman of the Indian Premier League Lalit Modi defended actor Sushmita Sen against “gold digger” allegations in a recent interview with Humans of Bombay.
“I was a kept boyfriend,” Modi said.
In a conversation with Karishma Mehta, the IPL founder Modi called himself a “diamond digger”. He added that their relationship was never about money, calling Sen a “self-made and wealthy woman who never chased money”.
“Sushmita is very beautiful, a very well-to-do lady. She has more diamonds than anybody I have known on this planet… 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,” he said.
Modi called Sen a remarkable woman.
“She would never accept anything from anybody. So when people called her a gold digger, that was completely wrong,” he added.
‘All hell broke loose’
Four years ago, when Modi posted a series of pictures with Sen confirming their relationship, the internet couldn’t keep calm.
“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.
Modi has no regrets about it.
“By the time we landed in London, 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.”
Modi credits Sen for helping him grow into the person he is today. He called the actor a “very special” person and once again confirmed that Sen was very much a part of his life at that time.
“It was just that the distances were too much for us. Her career was in India, my life was in London. It was a very, very special relationship. I have fond memories of her. 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.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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