Years after their relationship made headlines and sparked intense online chatter, businessman Lalit Modi has once again spoken about Sushmita Sen, firmly rejecting the “gold digger” label that was thrown at her when they went public in 2022.
Lalit Modi talks about Sushmita Sen
In a recent interview with Humans of Bombay, the former IPL chairman looked back on what he described as a “very special” relationship with the former Miss Universe and insisted that money was never a factor between them.
Recalling the criticism Sushmita faced at the time, Modi said, “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. If we can say, Sushmita was not a gold digger, Lalit was a diamond digger. And she was the diamond.”
He further added, “She would never accept anything from anybody. So when people called her a gold digger, that was completely wrong.”
Lalit Modi reveals Sushmita Sen was with him when he announced relationship in 2022
Lalit Modi also opened up about the social media post that revealed their relationship to the world. According to him, Sushmita did not expect him to actually share it. “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 said.
The businessman recalled that they were travelling back to London at the time. “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 said.
Despite the frenzy that followed, Modi said he has no regrets about making the relationship public. “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,” he said.
Speaking fondly about Sushmita, Modi credited her for influencing him in many ways and said she remains an important part of his life memories. “Sushmita was very special to me. She made me grow into a lot of things that I am today. She was extremely special. She was very much a part of my 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,” said Modi.
While reflecting on the relationship, he made it clear that they continue to share mutual respect and goodwill. In an earlier interview with Mid-Day in 2023, Sushmita had described her relationship with Lalit Modi as “just another phase.”
Also read: Sushmita Sen turns 50: The iconic answer that won India its first Miss Universe crown
