The dispute between Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh and his wife Jyoti Singh has escalated, with both holding separate press conferences on Wednesday to present their sides of the story.
What's Happening
- The couple, whose marriage has been under strain for months, levelled serious allegations against each other, turning their personal issues into a public controversy.
- At a press meet in Mumbai, Jyoti Singh made several grave accusations, claiming she faced both physical and emotional abuse during her marriage.
- She alleged that Pawan Singh repeatedly gave her abortion pills despite his public claims of wanting a child.
- "He used to give me abortion pills. He says he yearned for a child, but someone who truly wants a child doesn't give his wife medication," she said as per News18.
- She added, "Every time I was given pills. I hadn't revealed many things before, but Pawan Ji has forced me to speak out today. When I objected, he tortured me so much that I took 25 sleeping pills at 2 a.m."
- Recalling a distressing incident, Jyoti said she was taken to a hospital late at night after consuming the pills.
- "At that time, his brother Ranu Bhaiya, Deepak Bhaiya from his team, and Vicky Ji took me to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Andheri," she said.
What Did Pawan Singh Say?
Later in the evening, Pawan Singh addressed the media and dismissed Jyoti's accusations as misleading and exaggerated.
"Jyoti Singh posted on Instagram that she was coming to Lucknow to meet me. I was aware of her intentions and had informed the administration. We met at the flat with my brothers Hrithik and Dhananjay, while Jyoti was accompanied by her brother and elder sister, Juhi. How I behaved with her - only I, she, and God know that," he said.
The actor further claimed that Jyoti refused to leave his residence until their divorce proceedings were concluded.
"I asked, can a case be fought while living under the same roof? I asked the staff to prepare food she wanted and went to a meeting, leaving my brother to talk to her," he said.
Responding to the criticism he has faced, Pawan stated that he holds deep respect for the audience that has supported him.
"For me, the public is God. I would never hurt the sentiments of those who helped me reach this position. Jyoti Singh Ji, when you came to my society yesterday, I welcomed you with respect. We spoke for about one and a half hours. Your only demand was that I get you to contest elections, which is beyond my control," he said.
Clarifying reports about police involvement, the actor stated that he did not summon the authorities. "Officers were already present from the morning to ensure everything was supervised," Pawan said.
Background
In August this year, Jyoti Singh shared an emotional note on social media, alleging neglect and lack of communication from him.
In her post, Jyoti claimed that she had been trying to reach Pawan for months but received no response. She said she had also travelled to Lucknow and Dehri during Chhath in an attempt to meet him, but he refused to see her.
According to her, even her father's efforts to speak with Pawan two months ago did not help.
She wrote, "I have been trying to talk to you for several months about some family and political issues, but you or the people around you have perhaps not deemed it appropriate to reply to my calls and messages. I even went to Lucknow to meet you during Chhath when you came to Dehri; I thought it was appropriate to meet you then as well, but you refused to meet, saying it was instructed by the boss to meet in Lucknow. Two months ago, my father also went to meet you, but it did not provide any positive results."
"What grave offence have I committed that I am being punished like this? If I am not worthy of you, you could have just left me. There was no need to give me false hope during the Lok Sabha elections. Today, you have given me no other choice than to self-immolate, but I cannot even do that because the questions will always be raised against me and my parents," Jyoti added.
She further expressed her anguish over being ignored. "I am your family, yet it hurts me when you embrace those who once spoke harshly against you, but when I share my pain, my own family doesn't even acknowledge me," she wrote.
Calling her message a "final plea" after seven years of struggle, Jyoti urged Pawan to talk to her and acknowledge her pain. So this is my final plea to you at the end of 7 years of struggle.
Nowadays, I have begun to hate my life. Come and talk to me, respond to my calls and messages, try to understand my pain for once," she concluded.