Delnaaz Irani has opened up about her divorce, addressing speculation over alimony and revealing that she left without a claim, choosing “peace over everything.”Speaking about the financial aspect of her separation from ex-husband Rajeev Paul, Delnaaz dismissed common perceptions around alimony.“I never got anything. In fact, what was mine, I gave it away. It’s not like I held onto anything,” she told Haterrfly, adding that the divorce was “pretty messy” as one partner wanted it and the other didn’t.“But I just quit. I quit because I chose my peace over everything,” he added.
Divorce was not even in his “vocabulary”.
The actor said that coming from a middle-class Parsi family, divorce was not something he saw growing up.“Divorce was not even in my vocabulary. Where I come from, relationships last for generations. We are open, but this is not a coincidence, it comes after a long phase of emotional turmoil,” he said.Delnaaz also revealed that while the split became public around 2010, for her, the relationship was over much earlier.“When you’re emotionally and mentally out of a relationship, you’re just two strangers living in the same house,” she said.
“Kindness is seen as weakness”
Reflecting on his time The Great Bosswhere it was often perceived as “fake,” Delnaaz said people tend to misread kindness.“People thought I was fake, but the people who cared knew who I was. Niceness is always taken as a weakness, which is unfortunate. If people understood that kindness and compassion are strengths, the world would be a better place,” he said.He also dismissed claims that the reality show is scripted. “It’s a game, not a satsang. You can’t say that someone did something to you. You have to look fantastic in the show,” he added.
Confronting his ex on national television
Delnaaz admitted that he was shocked when Rajeev Paul entered the Bigg Boss house.“I didn’t know it was coming. But when I saw it, I told myself to treat it like any other contestant. I had to maintain my dignity and the dignity of my family,” she said.He also suspected that the show might go into a “divorce angle”, but said how he played himself was his choice.
“I chose to rebuild myself”
Opening up about that phase, Delnaaz recalled how it felt like everything was falling apart, especially after losing her father in 2011.“It felt like everything was collapsing. But I think even if you break down, you have to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life,” she said.Calling her a “rebel” in her own way, she added: “I was the first in my family to marry outside the community and the first to divorce.”
‘It was my journey, my choice’
Despite the support of his family, the actor emphasized that he chose to face everything on his own terms.“It was my journey, my choices. People may not understand the weight of it, but I chose peace and moved on,” he said.Delnaaz Irani ended her 14-year marriage to Rajeev Paul in 2012, though the two had already separated in 2010, as their relationship was marred by lack of love, respect and emotional disconnect. The actress has since moved on and is now in a long-term relationship with Percy Karkaria.
