“There are some issues running around in the recent past, isn’t it?” Vijay said, addressing cadres at a Women’s Day event organised by his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). “I see all of you busy fighting those allegations and getting hurt. In fact, I get hurt seeing that you get hurt. I will take care of all that. Let’s get involved in people’s problems. Don’t get hurt about that problem — it’s not worth bothering about. Be confident. Only good things will happen.”
The remarks, delivered to loud applause from the audience, were Vijay’s first public comments since details of a legal dispute with his wife, Sangeetha, began circulating widely in the media and on social networks. Earlier in the day, new details emerged from a petition she filed in the district court at Chengalpattu seeking an interim order allowing her to continue residing in the couple’s home along Chennai’s East Coast Road while their divorce case is pending.
Vijay did not mention the case directly during his speech. But the timing of his remarks — and the intensity of debate surrounding the issue — left little doubt among supporters that he was responding to the public discussion. The personal dispute has become intertwined with a broader political moment for the 51-year-old star, who entered politics in 2024 by launching TVK and is widely expected to face his first electoral test as a CM candidate in the next Assembly election.
In recent weeks, discussion of his personal life has spilled into the political arena and across social media, drawing in rival parties and prompting fervent responses from his large fan base. Much of the latest controversy began after BJP’s Tamil Nadu president, Nainar Nagendran, made remarks linking Vijay with actor Trisha. The comments ignited a wave of online debate and speculation. The actress later issued a statement rejecting the suggestion outright. Nagendran subsequently apologised for his remarks.
But the episode triggered a fresh round of scrutiny around Vijay’s private life. Around the same time, copies of Sangeetha Vijay’s divorce petition began circulating online, intensifying speculation and fuelling further arguments among supporters and critics alike.
According to a senior TVK leader familiar with internal discussions, the public narrative that quickly formed around the dispute did not reflect the nature of the conversations that had been taking place privately.
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“It was very unfortunate that a personal matter was dragged into a public debate like this,” the leader said. “There had been efforts toward a mutual solution. The understanding was that it would be resolved at an appropriate time, possibly after the elections. But the political remarks and the subsequent clarifications triggered more revelations about the case.”
The debate was further inflamed two days earlier when Vijay appeared at a wedding event alongside the actress, an appearance that quickly went viral and sparked another round of commentary online. Critics used the moment to question the actor’s personal choices, while party supporters rushed to defend him across social media platforms.
For TVK cadres, the controversy has arrived at a delicate moment. The party has been working to build momentum ahead of its first major electoral contest, projecting Vijay as a political alternative in Tamil Nadu’s crowded field.
Saturday’s event, intended to celebrate International Women’s Day and mobilise the party’s women cadres, thus unfolded against an unusually charged backdrop.
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Vijay’s wife Sangeetha files for divorce
Sangeetha filed the divorce petition in December, claiming that while the early years of their marriage were cordial, she discovered in April 2021 that Vijay was involved in an adulterous relationship with an actress. The petition states that this caused her “deep emotional pain and mental suffering,” amounting to a betrayal and violation of marital trust.
The petition further alleges that although Vijay initially assured her the relationship would end, the association continued, leading to mental cruelty, public humiliation arising from social media posts, emotional neglect and constructive desertion. It also claims that attempts at reconciliation were made between September 2021 and February 2022, and again between August 2024 and February 2025 through counsels and personal discussions, but these efforts failed to result in an amicable settlement.
While the petition did not name the actress, many linked the allegation to Vijay’s rumoured relationship with Trisha, especially after the two were seen together at the wedding reception of Kalpathi S. Suresh and Meenakshi Suresh’s son in Chennai on March 5.
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Vijay attends wedding with Trisha
Days after news of the divorce surfaced, the actor attended a wedding reception in Chennai along with actor Trisha Krishnan. Their appearance together at the event once again fuelled speculation among fans about a possible relationship between the two, rumours that have circulated in Tamil cinema circles for years.
With inputs from Entertainment Desk