Lalit Modi, businessman and former IPL chairman, has talked candidly about his relationship with Sushmita Sen. He called her an important part of his life and vehemently defended her against the criticism she faced when they went public with their relationship in 2022. He responded sharply to trolls who called her a 'gold-digger'.
Lalit Modi said that Sushmita Sen was never financially reliant on him and described the criticism as unjust in a conversation with Humans of Bombay. He said, "Sushmita is a beautiful, successful and self-made woman. She has more diamonds than almost anyone I know, and she earned everything herself. She even had diamond stores."
Revisiting his time with Sushmita Sen, the former IPL chairman shared, "There wasn't a time when we went out, and I had to pay for anything; she paid for everything. I was like a kept boyfriend."
Lalit Modi joked, "If anything, Lalit was the diamond digger, calling Sushmita a true diamond.
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Lalit Modi also had positive memories of their time together, characterising Sushmita Sen as a close friend and a significant figure in his life. When he thought back on the 2022 social media post announcing their relationship, he said it was an impetuous choice that caused a response neither of them had expected.
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Lalit Modi On His Relationship With Sushmita Sen
In retrospect, Lalit Modi claimed that Sushmita Sen had a significant impact on him at a critical juncture in his life. "Sushmita was very special to me. She helped me grow into many of the things I am today and was an extremely important part of my life at that time. It was a very special relationship."
"I have the fondest memories of her, and she’s still a very dear friend. 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 shared.
Meanwhile, Sushmita Sen described her relationship with Lalit Modi as 'just another phase' in an interview with Mid-Day in 2023.