Raj Kundra, businessman and husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, has been in the spotlight because of allegations of creating and distributing pornographic content through mobile apps. He was arrested in July 2021 under charges of violating obscenity laws, cheating, and conspiracy. The Mumbai Police began investigating after a complaint about pornographic videos being uploaded to certain mobile platforms. Kundra and his associates were accused of operating an app called “HotShots,” which reportedly hosted explicit content produced by his company. The investigation revealed a network that allegedly coerced aspiring actors into participating in such productions under false pretenses of casting them in web series or films.
Although Kundra denied any direct involvement, the mayhem spiralled. In his first open conversation on the subject, he said that it pains him to see what this has done to his wife. He said, “My wife, Shilpa, has been nothing short of a pillar of strength through this entire ordeal. She knows me, the man I am, and she has stood unwaveringly by my side, despite the constant dragging of her name into controversies she has no part in. It’s deeply frustrating and unfair to see her decades of hard work, her name, and her legacy being overshadowed because of her association with me. Shilpa has built her career brick by brick with sheer hard work, earning love and respect as an actor, fitness icon, and entrepreneur. Yet every time there’s news about me, her name is mentioned almost as a reflex. It is for clickbait. It’s disheartening to see people reduce her to just ‘Raj Kundra’s wife’ or try to taint her achievements because of baseless allegations against me. What pains me the most is how these constant headlines try to affect her. But my Shilpa is resilient. She has faced it all with grace, even as the world attempts to tear me down. My only solace is knowing that she believes in my innocence and has been my rock through this. Still, I blame the system and the sensationalism for completely nullifying her decades of contributions. She deserves better, and for me, her dignity will always be non-negotiable.”