Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya recently made headlines when he strongly criticized Telangana Congress Minister Konda Surekha for her remarks about his divorce from actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

The minister had linked the separation to political conspiracies involving Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao, a claim that Naga Chaitanya deemed baseless and offensive.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday, Naga Chaitanya expressed his outrage in a statement, calling Surekha’s comments “absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.”

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— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) October 2, 2024

He emphasized that his divorce from Samantha was a mutual decision that came after much thought and reflection. The actor also highlighted the emotional toll that such a decision brings, making it clear that the choice to part ways came about with mutual respect and dignity.

Naga Chaitanya and Samantha, both popular figures in the Telugu film industry, decided to keep the details of their separation private, but the continued speculation surrounding their divorce has made it difficult for them to move forward.

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“The decision of divorce is easily one of the most painful and unfortunate life decisions one has to make. After a lot of thought, a mutual decision was made by me and my former spouse to part ways. It was a decision made in peace, owing to our different life goals and in the interest of moving forward with respect and dignity as two mature adults,” Naga Chaitanya wrote in his statement.

He further addressed the ongoing rumors and speculation, calling them “baseless and completely ridiculous.” Despite the constant gossip, the actor explained that he had remained silent out of respect for both Samantha and his family. However, Surekha’s recent claims seemed to have crossed a line, compelling him to respond.

Lashing out at the minister, Naga Chaitanya added, “Today, the claim made by Minister Konda Surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful.”

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Earlier that same day, Samantha Ruth Prabhu also reacted to Konda Surekha’s controversial remarks. The minister had alleged KT Rama Rao’s involvement in the couple’s separation by tapping phones and blackmailing actresses.

Samantha, like Naga Chaitanya, firmly denied these allegations and clarified that her divorce had nothing to do with any political conspiracies. She took to Instagram Stories to issue a clear statement, emphasizing that her divorce was a “mutual consent” decision, and she requested that people refrain from further speculation on the matter.

“My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it. Our choice to keep things private doesn’t invite misrepresentation. To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so,” Samantha’s statement read.

Samantha went on to highlight the challenges women face in the entertainment industry, particularly in dealing with public scrutiny and maintaining a personal life in the midst of constant media attention.

“To be a woman, to come out and work, to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props, to fall in love & to fall out of love, to still stand up and fight… It takes a lot of courage and strength,” she wrote.

These explosive accusations triggered immediate backlash from various quarters, including BRS leaders and film industry insiders. Superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni, Naga Chaitanya’s father, also condemned Surekha’s remarks.

He emphasized that such personal attacks on public figures and their families were disturbing and nobody should tolerate them.