Television actress Akanksha Chamola has said that she and her husband, actor Gaurav Khanna, are headed for divorce after living separately for the past year. Akanksha made the revelation during the premiere episode of Lock Upp Season 2 on Saturday.
On the show, Akanksha was asked to share a secret. Her confession left the audience, as well as hosts Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, visibly stunned.
"Me and Gaurav are getting a divorce. We have been living separately for the last one year, and it's not been public," Akanksha said.
She, however, stressed that there is no animosity between them despite deciding to end their marriage.
"Things are not bad between me and Gaurav. We still talk to each other. We don't think we are compatible as partners because we both see a very different future. And, unfortunately, it's not with each other," she added.
Akanksha and Gaurav tied the knot on November 24, 2016, in a three-day wedding celebration in Kanpur, Gaurav's hometown. Throughout their marriage, the couple frequently supported each other's professional milestones.
Akanksha had also appeared during the family week of Bigg Boss 19, where Gaurav went on to win the season. During one of his conversations inside the house, he had opened up about the couple's differing views on parenthood.
When fellow contestant Mridul Tiwari asked if he had children, Gaurav replied, "No, my wife doesn't want. I want, but it's a love marriage. Whatever she says, manna padega. Pyaar kiya hai toh nibhaana toh padega (I'll have to agree. If you've chosen love, you have to honour it)."
Interestingly, in January this year, Akanksha had dismissed rumours of trouble in their marriage. Speaking to The Times of India, she said, "There is absolutely no trouble in our marriage, and the post had nothing to do with Gaurav. I am not someone who discusses personal matters on social media. The post was meant to promote my upcoming series. It was open to interpretation, but it was blown out of proportion."
She had also addressed the online trolling she faced after Gaurav expressed his desire to have children while she maintained that she did not want to embrace motherhood.
"I am the troll queen at the moment! I have always been open about this subject. Gaurav is more guarded because he wants to protect my image. We have an age difference, and he is mature enough to understand my point of view. I have clearly said that I don't see myself choosing motherhood. It's a personal choice, and I don't feel the need to justify it to anyone," she had said.
Lock Upp Season 2 premiered on June 27 on Netflix. Apart from Akanksha, the reality show features Ram Kapoor, Shivangi Joshi, Sunita Ahuja, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Harshad Chopda, Madhuri Grover, Shresta Iyer, Pamala Serena, Akanksha Choudhary, Yogesh Rawat, Riyaz Aly, Shreya Kalra, Varun Yadav and Sufi Motiwala. New episodes stream every Saturday to Wednesday at 8pm.