Four years after Sushmita Sen clapped back at trolls over the “gold digger” tag when her relationship with businessman Lalit Modi became public, Modi defended the former Miss Universe during a recent interview, saying, “She’s not a gold digger; I am a diamond digger.”
Looking back at his “very special” relationship with Sushmita Sen, Lalit Modi emphasized that their relationship was never about money. Sushmita is a self-made and wealthy woman who never chased money, Modi asserted.
‘I Was Like a Kept Boyfriend’
When asked about Sushmita Sen’s epic 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.
‘I Did It Right in Front of Her’
Lalit Modi said that he shared the announcement post with Sushmita Sen right in front of her when she least expected it.
He said, “I did it right in front of her. She didn’t think I would actually post it. We were arguing about something on the plane and she said, ‘You’re not going to post this.’ I laughed and pressed the button.”
Modi recalled that they were heading back to London at the time. “By the time we landed, all hell had broken loose. But there was nothing wrong with it. She never asked me to take it down, and I never considered doing that,” he said.
Modi said he does not regret sharing the post publicly. “It really did break the internet. For a few days, it seemed like that’s all anyone was talking about. But we had a beautiful story and I don’t regret a single minute of it,” he said.
‘She’s Still a Very, Very Good Friend’
Looking back on the relationship, Lalit Modi said Sushmita helped him grow into the person he is today.
“Sushmita was very special to me. She made me grow into a lot of things that I am today. She was extremely special. She was very much a part of my life at that time.
“It was just that the distances were too much for us. Her career was in India, my life was in London. It was a very, very special relationship.
“I have fond memories of her. I wish her nothing but the best. She’s an amazing woman, and what she has done as a single mother to her daughters, Renee and Alisah, is remarkable,” said the former IPL chairman.
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 2023, Sushmita referred to her relationship with Lalit Modi as “just another phase” during an interview with Mid-Day.
