Lalit Modi reflects on past relationship with Sushmita Sen: “She’s not a gold digger”

Lalit Modi has spoken at length about his past relationship with actor Sushmita Sen, emphasising that public assumptions about the nature of their association were unfounded. In a recent interview, Modi said the relationship was “very special” and stressed that it was never influenced by financial considerations.

Modi defended Sen against accusations made at the time, stating, “She’s not a gold digger; I am a diamond digger.” He described Sen as a self‑made and financially independent individual, adding, “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.”

He recalled occasions during their time together when Sen paid for their outings, saying, “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.” Modi added that Sen “would never accept anything from anybody,” calling the criticism directed at her “completely wrong.”

Modi also discussed the moment he publicly announced their relationship on social media in 2022. He said he posted the message while they were on a flight, explaining, “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 they were travelling back to London at the time and that “by the time we landed, all hell had broken loose.” Modi noted that Sen never asked him to remove the post, and he did not consider doing so.

Reflecting on the reaction, Modi said he does not regret 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.”