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Actor Isha Rikhi says Badshah cheated her 'emotionally, physically' in marriage
On Bigg Boss 20, Isha Rikhi told Kanika Mann that she had faced "physical, emotional and social" cheating in her marriage. Her remarks added to the public account of her separation from Badshah.
Actor Isha Rikhi appeared to hint at what went wrong in her marriage with rapper Badshah during a conversation on Bigg Boss 20, saying she experienced cheating that was “physical, emotional and social”. Speaking to co-contestant Kanika Mann, the 32-year-old discussed relationships through the analogy of “best friends” in different social circles. She suggested that her partner wanted the relationship but not the responsibility that came with it.
The exchange came soon after Isha joined Bigg Boss 20 following the couple’s announcement that they were getting separated. In the conversation, she said she does not believe what others say about a person unless she sees it herself, before adding that she later realised she had been “played the whole time”. She went on to describe a relationship in which she was introduced only to a select set of people and was shown a version of reality that, she said, “never really existed”.
In the latest episode of Bigg Boss 20, Isha was seen talking to Kanika about how she approaches relationships. She said, “If someone will come tell me that Kanika is so and so, I won’t believe them unless I see it for myself. That’s how I am. I am the same, when it also comes to relationship. If someone will come and tell me anything, I will tell them, ‘Either give me a proof, or stop playing with my mind.’”
Isha appeared to suggest that although she may have had doubts during the relationship, she chose not to believe them until she saw things for herself. “When the relationship ends, it is then you realise that you were being played the whole time,” she said.
When Kanika asked her what kind of cheating she had experienced — “Physical, emotional or social?” — Isha paused before replying, “All of them.”
She then explained the situation using Kanika as an example of a best friend. “It is very toxic to be hanging in between. It is like I make you believe that you are my best friend. I am treating you like my best friend. Taking you to places like my best friend, but then you get to know that you were never really my best friend in the first place,” Isha said.
She further said that she was not introduced to all the people in her partner’s social circle, but only to a select group. “What makes it different is that, I am doing all this in a particular circle, in privacy and not before the world. It is only a set of people I am introducing you to as my best friend,” she said.
When Kanika asked, “But why would you do that?”, Isha replied, “Because, I have many other best friends.” When Kanika followed it up with, “So were there really too many best friends?”, Isha said, “Yes. But, they were all someone to chill with for a day or two, but the truth was that you never really wanted a best friend, you were just playing games.”
“But why?” Kanika asked.
“Convenience. Because you are so good that I want you in my life. Because I won’t get these things anywhere else,” Isha replied.
Kanika then asked, “But, won’t take the responsibility?” Isha agreed, saying, “Yes. So it was like you do want to stay, but also your freedom. And want me to meet only a certain people. But outside that group, I get to know that Kanika was never really my best friend. She was simply showing me a whole different picture. And not just Kanika but also people around Kanika were showing me the same picture, which never really existed. The picture was something else altogether.”
Isha used Kanika’s name as an analogy while describing the situation she said she experienced in her marriage with Badshah.
More about Badshah and Isha's relationship
Badshah and Isha dated for many years before reportedly getting married in March. However, Badshah did not publicly announce the marriage or share pictures from the ceremony. Isha’s mother later confirmed the wedding by sharing pictures from the private ceremony.
Isha subsequently shared pictures from the wedding herself and conducted an AMA session on social media, where she confirmed that she was married to Badshah. When a fan asked why the two did not follow each other on social media, she tagged Badshah and joked, “My husband is answerable for that.” The singer did not respond publicly to the comment.
The first direct acknowledgement of their marriage from Badshah came when the couple announced their separation in a joint statement on Instagram Stories, saying they were parting ways with “mutual respect” for each other.
Badshah wrote, “I and Isha Rikhi have mutually decided to part ways and move forward on our separate paths. This decision has been made with mutual respect, and we request everyone to kindly respect our privacy during this time (sic).” He added, “This will be our only statement on the matter. We sincerely request that there be no further speculation or assumptions regarding our relationship (sic).”
Speculation about trouble in their marriage had begun circulating on social media in July. That month, Isha shared a montage of pictures and videos featuring herself and Badshah, and captioned the post, “Every storm is a lesson. Every prayer is hope,” along with a heartbreak emoji and a folded-hands emoji.
Following the separation announcement, several rumours about their relationship began circulating. At the time, Isha urged people not to believe unverified reports about her marriage.
“There are many rumours circulating about my marriage. Its shocking to hear and read the news reports appearing in certain quarters. I request certain sections of the media not to spread any rumours regarding my marriage or separation. I also urge the general public not to believe anything they read or hear unless the information comes directly from me or through my official social media handles. Thank you,” she had written.
Previously, Isha’s mother, Poonam Rikhi, had also shared cryptic posts on social media, including one that read: “Karma comes back around. if you make life difficult for someone, God will make your death difficult.” Isha has now spoken about her experience at length inside the Bigg Boss 20 house.
Before Isha, Badshah was married to Jasmine Masih. They were married for eight years before separating in 2020. They have a daughter, Jessemy Grace Masih Singh.