A significant controversy arose last week when Telangana minister Konda Surekha suggested that the divorce between Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya was orchestrated as part of a political plot.
After a backlash from the film industry, including from Samantha and Chaitanya themselves, Surekha withdrew her comments. Despite the criticism directed at her, many fans also criticized Chaitanya for not mentioning Samantha by name in his response.
On October 1, Surekha alleged that her political opponent KTR had coerced Samantha into the divorce. Later that evening, Samantha issued a statement urging Surekha to keep her out of political disputes. Chaitanya responded the next day, but many fans found his remarks unclear and noted that he referred to Samantha only as “earlier spouse,” a term many considered outdated.
Chaitanya’s statement was widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Samantha’s supporters, who called him out for his choice of words. One user remarked on his failure to use her name, while another humorously likened the situation to Lord Voldemort, saying, “So Samantha is Voldemort, she who must not be named.”
Many fans expressed frustration that Chaitanya chose to speak out only after his family was involved, noting that he remained silent when Samantha faced derogatory comments following the divorce. One Twitter user criticized him for avoiding her name, indicating a lack of respect in the way he handled the situation.
Surekha’s comments have faced widespread condemnation from the Telugu film community, with numerous artists and filmmakers using the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate to voice their dissent. Chaitanya and his father, Nagarjuna, have also initiated a defamation lawsuit against Surekha for her statements.
