Why Lalit Modi And Sushmita Sen Broke Up: 'The Distance Was Too Much'

A recent unfiltered interview with businessman Lalit Modi has taken the internet by storm, especially where he defended Sushmita Sen, who was once called a "gold digger" when her relationship with Modi went public four years ago. He has now spoken at length about how she was "very special" to him and is still a "dear friend". Furthermore, he explained the nature of their relationship and why it did not work out.

What's Happening

• Lalit Modi told Humans of Bombay, "Sushmita was very special to me; she made me grow into a lot of things that I am today, and was extremely special. She was very much part of my life at that time, and would have been. It was just the distances were too much for us. Her career was in India, my life was in London. But it was a very, very special relationship, and I have the fondest memories of her."
• He added, "And she's still a very, very dear friend of mine. I just wish her all the best. She's an amazing lady and what she has done for two girls, Rene and Alisah - it's amazing. She is a very special lady."
• "Her parents are very special, and she, as a single mother, has done a tremendous job in her life. I sit in amazement and look at her, how she grows and grows and grows. I just wish her all the best," concluded Lalit Modi.
• The relationship first went viral when Lalit Modi shared a series of pictures from a holiday in July 2022. They broke the internet as much speculation surfaced online over their unusual pairing.

Lalit Modi Calling Himself A 'Kept Boyfriend'

When asked about Sushmita Sen's post shutting down trolls who called her a gold digger, Modi told Humans of Bombay, "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. 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."

"She would never accept anything from anybody. So when people called her a gold digger, that was completely wrong," he said.

Sushmita Sen's Post On "Gold Digger"

Sushmita Sen shared a long post on her Instagram addressing trolls who called her a "gold digger" in 2022. An excerpt from the post read, "I dig deeper than gold... and I've always (famously) preferred diamonds!! And yes I still buy them myself!!!" Sushmita added, "The so-called intellectuals with their idiosyncrasies...the ignorant with their cheap and at times funny gossip. The friends I never had and the acquaintances I've never met... all sharing their grand opinions and deep knowledge of my life and character... monetising the 'gold digger' all the way!!! Ah these geniuses!!!"

In a 2023 interview, Sushmita referred to her relationship with Lalit Modi as "just another phase".

ALSO READ | Lalit Modi Defends Sushmita Sen Against 'Gold Digger' Tag: 'I Was Like A Kept Boyfriend, She Paid For Everything'