Earlier this week, a video of politician Konda Surekha went viral, in which she accused Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) of interfering in the personal lives of celebrities and being involved in drug-related controversies.
She also made claims about KTR’s alleged role in the divorce of actors Samantha Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya. Surekha alleged that the separation was a result of KTR’s involvement, stating that pressure from actor Nagarjuna, Chaitanya’s father, forced Samantha to approach KTR in exchange for preventing the demolition of N Convention Hall. She further claimed the entire industry was aware of this.
In response, Naga Chaitanya addressed the allegations, condemning them as false and “ridiculous.” He explained that his divorce from Samantha was a deeply personal and mutual decision, made after thoughtful consideration due to their differing life goals. Chaitanya criticized Surekha’s remarks for exploiting the private lives of celebrities for attention, expressing disappointment at her use of such tactics. He stated that he had previously remained silent out of respect for Samantha and their families but felt compelled to speak out against the baseless rumors.
Even Samantha addressed the development and penned a long note saying-
Several celebrities from the South Indian film industry voiced their support for Chaitanya, expressing their displeasure at Surekha’s comments. Following the backlash, Surekha issued an apology through a series of tweets. She clarified that her intent was to challenge KTR’s alleged disrespect toward women and not to malign Samantha or her family. She emphasized that her political career had never involved exploiting personal issues for gain, and if her comments hurt anyone, it was unintentional.
Surekha reiterated that her remarks were not aimed at demeaning Samantha’s family and expressed admiration for Samantha’s strength and independence. Meanwhile, KTR, who had already sent a legal notice to Surekha, described her accusations as baseless and malicious, stating that they were intended to damage his reputation without any evidence.