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Explained: The Curious Case Of Lalit Modi And Sushmita Sen's Messy Digital Romance

Soumyajit Dutta

Lalit Modi and Sushmita Sen together [Source: @aman_pandaa/X.com]Lalit Modi and Sushmita Sen together [Source: @aman_pandaa/X.com]

In the world of glamour and cricket, few stories have exploded onto social media with the force and brevity of the 2022 romance between former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen and controversial ex-IPL chairman Lalit Modi. It was a saga played out not in private dinners, but in Instagram posts and Twitter clarifications, captivating and confusing the public in equal measure.

How It All Began!

The drama began on July 14, 2022, when Modi, the architect of the Indian Premier League who has lived in London since 2010 amid financial misconduct allegations, posted a series of vacation photos with Sen.

From the sandy beaches of the Maldives to the coasts of Sardinia, the pictures painted a portrait of a couple in bliss. Modi, referring to Sen as his “better half” and “partner in crime”, declared he was over the moon about their “new beginning.” 

Lalit Modi's tweet from 2022 [Source: Screengrab]Lalit Modi's tweet from 2022 [Source: Screengrab]

The internet immediately speculated, was this a marriage announcement? The clarification came swiftly, not from a publicist, but from Modi’s own Twitter feed. Modi clarifies, "Just for clarity. Not married - just dating each other. That too it will happen one day."

Sushmita Sen’s Cryptic Clarification

The next day, Sen offered her own nuanced response on Instagram. Surrounded by her daughters, Renee and Alisah, she stated she was “not married... no rings... and unconditionally surrounded by love,” punctuating her message with the defiant hashtag #NOYB (None of Your Business). What followed was a public relations firestorm.

In the middle of the frenzy, a section of people on the Internet unfairly branded Sen a “gold digger.” The Bollywood star clapped back days later, saying she found it amusing to see “friends I never had & acquaintances I’ve never met” monetising gossip about her life.

Sushmita Sen's Instagram post from 2022 [Source: Screengrab]Sushmita Sen's Instagram post from 2022 [Source: Screengrab]

In a fiery Instagram post, she wrote, “I dig deeper than Gold... and I’ve always (famously) preferred Diamonds!! And yes I still buy them myself!!!” The sharp response quickly went viral, silencing many of her trolls.

Lalit Modi Scrubs Memories, Fuels Split Rumours

By August 2022, just a month later, cracks began to show. Modi changed his Instagram bio and profile picture, scrubbing all traces of Sen. Months later, rumours of a split gained ground when he deleted all their pictures. In a 2023 interview with Mid-Day, Sen reflected on why she decided to respond to the online hate.

“Sometimes I think when people keep quiet, their silence is mistaken for weakness or fear. I just needed to put out one post to let them know I am laughing. You can’t be 47 years old, having lived most of your life in the public eye, and be afraid of the public,” Sen said.

Lalit Modi Moves On

The final curtain fell in early 2025 when Lalit Modi introduced his new girlfriend, Rima Bouri, a long-time friend of 25 years, to the world on Valentine’s Day. His post confirmed that his whirlwind romance with Sen had ended.

The entire episode stands as a classic tale of the digital age, a whirlwind romance announced to millions, defended with a hashtag, and dissolved in the quiet, unforgiving glare of the internet spotlight. It was a brief, bizarre chapter that proved even for a cricket mogul and a Bollywood queen, some stories are best kept out of the social media feed.