(Image source from: Newindianexpress.com)
Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay's spouse, Sangeetha Sornalingam, has submitted a request for divorce, aiming to end their 27-year marriage. The pair, who tied the knot in August 1999, have two kids named Jason Sanjay and Divya Shasha. The legal action is based on certain rules of the Special Marriage Act from 1954, which permit a spouse to request a divorce for reasons like infidelity and mistreatment. In her petition, Sangeetha, who is 48, claimed that Vijay, aged 51, was having an affair with a female actress. She stated that in 2021, she found out that Vijay "was involved in an affair with an actress. " The petition further mentioned that even though Vijay promised to end the relationship, it persisted without any indication of regret.
The document also highlighted that Vijay not only cut Sangeetha out of his social and work life, but also “kept traveling internationally and going to public events with the actress. The actress frequently shared photos from these outings on social media. Vijay neither denied nor opposed these posts, which meant he was quietly accepting them. ” Sangeetha asserted that these posts “brought her and their children repeated embarrassment. ” Additionally, the petition pointed out that Vijay has withdrawn privileges that Sangeetha once had and "put financial limits on her and restricted her movements. " Sangeetha expressed that Vijay’s "ongoing affair and the social media incidents" in 2024 led to immense emotional distress for her. She claimed that their marriage has practically ended and exists merely on paper. She believes that there is no chance for the relationship to be fixed and it only brings her “emotional pain, shame, and suffering. ”
These facts became crucial for the divorce reasons presented by Sangeetha, as outlined in Section 27(1)(a) and 27(1)(d) of the Special Marriage Act. The Special Marriage Act of 1954 allows for divorce if one partner is found guilty of infidelity or has treated the other badly. In her petition, Sangeetha refers to both of these legal reasons in the current case. The issue is now with the District Court, and the decision is still pending. Sangeetha, who is the child of a Tamil businessman, was once an enthusiastic supporter of Vijay prior to their marriage on August 25, 1999. Their wedding was a lavish event, celebrated with both Hindu and Christian ceremonies.
