Gaurav Khanna appeared as a visitor on Lock Upp 2 on Thursday, where he addressed his relationship with Akanksha Chamola and clarified that their divorce has not yet been finalised.
During the conversation, the former Anupamaa actor expressed disappointment over Akanksha announcing their separation on the reality show, insisting that no legal proceedings had been completed.
“We just discussed it, no petition was signed, nothing is official," he said.
After Akanksha replied, “Because you went for Khatron Ke Khiladi," Gaurav responded, “You dropped that bombshell on me just seven days before the show. Should I be doing the stunts there or manage the mess in my head? But it’s fine."
Later in the episode, Farah Khan offered the pair the privacy of her cabin so they could discuss the matter. During the conversation, Gaurav spoke about the public reaction to their situation and the misconceptions surrounding their relationship.
“We discussed it in May before I left for the show; everyone thinks that we’ve already been divorced for a year or so. They are saying, Akanksha was giving an audition in that show, and I was doing it for sympathy."
Khanna, who is set to feature in Khatron Ke Khiladi, also stressed that he and Akanksha continue to be legally married, adding that he was uncomfortable with the criticism directed at her.
“I was so surprised by the way people have taken it. This is an open ground to party; they are making whatever stories they want and writing whatever they feel like. But I can’t stand them saying anything against you because legally we’re still husband and wife, and I am your husband, and I don’t like it when people speak badly about anybody I have been with, or I am with," he said.
Earlier on Lock Upp, Akanksha had revealed that she and Gaurav had been living separately for the past year and were heading for a divorce.
In a subsequent episode, while speaking with fellow contestants Shreya Kalra and Sufi Motiwala, she explained that their differing views on parenthood had played a key role in the breakdown of their marriage.
“When we were married, I never had a maternal instinct. But I was open to discovering it, and it was never shut down. Gradually, however, I realised that I am not meant for it, and he was okay with that. But I guess, in time, that shifted. Now he wants to have kids and I can’t give him that," she said.
