- Shivangi Joshi revealed she was molested as a child by her mother's trusted brother called Mama Ji
- The abuse happened before she moved to Mumbai to pursue an acting career
- Mama Ji manipulated her using acting lessons as a pretext for inappropriate behavior
TV actress Shivangi Joshi has shared a deeply personal story, revealing that she was taken advantage of as a child by a man she considered her uncle. On the latest episode of Lock Upp 2, she said she had never spoken openly about the painful experience before and thanked Ram Kapoor, Harshad Chopda and her fellow contestants for giving her the strength to finally share it.
Shivangi recalled that the man was her mother's trusted brother, whom she called Mama Ji and claimed he took advantage of the trust her family had put in him. She also revealed that the incident had a negative effect on her childhood, leaving her too scared to leave the house or attend school for a long time.
Shivangi Joshi said, “I was molested when I was a child. He was my mother's close family friend, whom we called Mama ji and he was a very respected man. At that time, I was planning to go to Mumbai because I wanted to become an actor and he took advantage of that situation.
“Since he was like a brother to my mother, she trusted him. At first, I did not understand what was happening when he told me that if I wanted to go to Mumbai and become an actor, I needed to learn how to drive a car used for acting.”
“He asked me to sit on his lap in the front seat, hold the steering wheel and learn how to drive. I followed his command without understanding what was happening. After some time, I still did not know what his intention was. I did not feel comfortable. So, after a few days, I told him that I did not want to learn how to drive.”
Shivangi Joshi further recalled that before leaving for Mumbai, he came to her house while her parents were away. He started talking to her about acting and told her that actors sometimes have to do different types of scenes. He then called her closer and told her that she should be ready for such situations. He also compared it to the way her mother kisses her on the forehead and said similar things happen during film shoots. He then kissed her on the forehead, which made her uncomfortable.
The actress recalled that Mama Ji then held her and kissed her on the cheek, which made her feel very uncomfortable. When he tried to kiss her on the lips, she told him to stop because it felt wrong. She tried to push him away, but he got angry and threw her on the floor.
Thankfully, her parents returned home at that moment. Shivangi started screaming and her father heard her and came inside. Her parents beat him and threw him out of the house. After the incident, her parents were afraid to leave her alone.
Reacting to Shivangi Joshi's emotional story, her mother asked parents to talk openly with their children about safe and unsafe touch on Instagram. She said parents should create a safe space where children feel comfortable to share anything that makes them scared or uncomfortable. She also added that parents should listen to their children and believe them, even when they find it difficult to explain what happened.