Actor Rhea Chakraborty has spoken openly for the first time in detail about the intense personal and public ordeal she faced after the death of her former partner, Sushant Singh Rajput, revealing that the unwavering support of her close female friends was what carried her through the darkest period.
During the season finale of her podcast Chapter 2 with Rhea Chakraborty, she sat down with friends Shibani Dandekar and Anusha Dandekar to reflect on the events of 2020. Chakraborty explained that, at the height of the controversy, publicly thanking those who stood by her was not an option. Today, she feels free to give them credit without fear of further criticism.
“At that time, it was not cool to announce that these are the people who were supporting me,” she said. “Today, I am sitting at a place where I want to say that I survived the storm. People keep telling me you are strong but I only survived this because of certain people in my life.” She described her circle of friends as her “crew” and stressed that recognising them now no longer carries the same risk of backlash.
The discussion became deeply moving when Anusha Dandekar shared her hopes for Rhea in 2026, wishing it would become the brightest chapter of her life and acknowledging how exhausting it has been for Rhea to constantly project strength.
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Chakraborty’s father had earlier stated that without these women, the family might not have made it through. Echoing his words, Rhea remarked, “Now we don’t need a temple in the house, we need a picture of these women.”
The crisis began on 14 June 2020 when Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai home. In the months that followed, Chakraborty faced severe allegations from his family, including abetment to suicide. She was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with alleged drug-related matters and was also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over money-laundering claims. The Bombay High Court later quashed significant portions of the NCB case concerning her alleged role in any drug habit.
The probe was eventually transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed a closure report in March last year, clearing Rhea of all charges. The prolonged legal battle, media scrutiny, time spent in custody, and social isolation took a severe toll on her mental health—she has previously spoken about developing PTSD as a result.
Since the case was closed, Chakraborty has steadily rebuilt her public presence through her podcast and business ventures, choosing to share her story of endurance and recovery on her own terms.
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