Divorced star couple Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu have slammed Telangana minister Konda Surekha for her comments about the alleged involvement of politician K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) in their separation, calling the remarks ‘ridiculous and unacceptable’.

Surekha had reportedly told media persons that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) played a role in Samantha and Naga Chaitanya’s divorce, drawing flak on social media.

In a statement released on October 2, Chaitanya expressed his frustration over the minister’s claims, calling them “absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable”. He emphasised that his divorce from Samantha, which was announced in October 2021, was a deeply personal decision made by the couple after careful consideration.

“The decision of divorce is easily one of the most painful and unfortunate life decisions one has to make. After a lot of thought, a mutual decision was made by me and my former spouse to part ways. It was a decision made in peace, owing to our different life goals and in the interest of moving forward with respect and dignity as two mature adults,” Chaitanya said in a statement.

Chaitanya, who has largely remained silent on the subject of his divorce, explained that his silence was out of respect for Samantha and his family. However, the recent allegations by Konda Surekha forced him to speak out.

"There have been various baseless and completely ridiculous gossips on the matter so far. I have remained silent all this while out of deep respect for my earlier spouse as well as my family. Today, the claim made by Minister Konda Surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful," he added.

Hours before Chaitanya’s statement, Samantha Ruth Prabhu also reacted to the controversy, urging the minister to keep her name out of the matter. In an Instagram story, she made it clear that the separation was by “mutual consent and amicable” with no political involvement. She urged people to stop making assumptions about her personal life.

“To be a woman, to come out and work, to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props, to fall in love & to fall out of love, to still stand up and fight... It takes a lot of courage and strength,” Samantha’s statement read.

She went on to request privacy and urged people to stop drawing political connections to her divorce. “My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it. Our choice to keep things private doesn't invite misrepresentation. To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so,” she added.

Chaitanya’s parents, veteran actor Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni, along with his brother Akhil Akkineni, have also voiced their displeasure over the minister's statements, expressing support for Chaitanya and denouncing the unwarranted interference in his personal life.

Naga Chaitanya and Samantha were married for four years before announcing their separation in 2021. Earlier this year, Chaitanya got engaged to actor Sobhita Dhulipala, marking a new chapter in his personal life.

As of now, Minister Konda Surekha has not responded to the backlash regarding her remarks.