Rhea Chakraborty has once again opened up about the years of online hatred and public scrutiny she faced after the death of her former boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Appearing on the reality show The Traitors Season 2, the actress made a strong statement, calling herself “the most trolled person in the country.” She also shared her fear of facing more “dirty memes” if she took on the role of a traitor in the game.
Her comments have once again brought attention to the intense backlash she received following the 2020 case. While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has given her a clean chit, Rhea says the world still sees her as a traitor. She made these remarks during the fifth episode of the show, which is hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and streams on Prime Video.
Why Rhea refused to play a traitor on the show
In the reality show, contestants are divided into “Innocents” and “Traitors.” The Traitors secretly eliminate other players, while the Innocents try to identify them. During a discussion in the “Circle of Shaq,” fellow contestant Shweta Tiwari asked Rhea why she was so sure she could not be a traitor.
Rhea gave a very personal reply. She said, “I don’t want to be the traitor. The reason is that the world already sees me as a traitor. Do you understand? It is coming from my personal life journey”. She explained that she did not want to come on a show and “willingly murder” someone, as it would give people more reason to troll her. She feared that people would make “dirty memes” out of it.
She then made her big claim, saying, “I am the most trolled person in the country. You all know what that means? I am not the traitor, all of you are making a big mistake”. She added that the suspicion on her was a distraction from the real traitor in the game.
The Sushant Singh Rajput case and its aftermath
Rhea’s life changed completely in 2020 after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. She was dating the actor at the time of his death. Following his passing, she faced serious allegations, including abetment to suicide. She was also arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug-related case connected to the investigation. She spent time in jail before getting bail.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies. In March 2025, the CBI filed a closure report in the case. The report gave a clean chit to Rhea and others named in the case, stating there was no evidence to support the allegations against her. Despite this legal clearance, Rhea said the public perception has not changed for her. She told the other contestants, “This has been the narrative of my life. The world thought I was a Traitor, but I turned out to be Innocent”.
‘The world sees me as a traitor’
Earlier in the same season, when host Karan Johar asked Rhea whether she wanted to be an Innocent or a Traitor to survive the game, she chose to be an Innocent. She explained that she had only recently received a clean chit and that people had finally realised she was innocent. She said, “Iss saal hi actually mujhe clean chit mila hain, iss saal hi logo ko pata chala hai ki mai innocent hoon. Bohot der tak shaq mein rahi hoon toh woh itna pasand nahi hai ab mujhe” (I have got the clean chit this year itself. People have realised that I am innocent. I have been under doubt for a long time, and I don’t like that feeling).
She also mentioned that she does not follow the crowd and is not easily influenced. However, she admitted that her personality is such that she can influence others. Her decision to remain an Innocent on the show appears to be a direct reflection of her real-life experiences, where she has been trying to prove her innocence for years.
Family faced job losses and social boycott
Rhea’s statement on The Traitors is not the first time she has spoken about the impact of the controversy on her life. In a recent vlog with Farah Khan, she opened up about how her entire family suffered. She said they were “cancelled by society” and faced a complete social boycott.
She revealed that her father, Indrajit Chakraborty, a retired army officer, lost a senior job opportunity. He had been offered a position as a medical superintendent at a big hospital. However, after the hospital staff found out his surname and linked him to Rhea, he was turned away.
Her brother, Showik Chakraborty, also faced severe setbacks. Despite scoring 97% in the CAT exam and securing a seat at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), he lost the opportunity. Rhea said Showik could not find any job after that. “Showik was not even getting jobs. No corporate was willing to take him on,” she recalled. She also mentioned that she and Showik had no work after coming out of jail and had to sit at home for a long time.
Rhea survives the episode
Despite being suspected by other contestants, Rhea managed to survive the fifth episode of The Traitors 2. It was Parul Gulati who was voted out and eliminated from the game. The remaining traitors on the show are Kullu, Krystle D’Souza, and Shahneel Gill.
The show features a mix of 21 celebrity contestants, including Mallika Sherawat, Munawar Faruqui, Shweta Tiwari, and Abhishek Malhan (Fukraa Insaan). The format of the show involves intense mind games, where friendships break and suspicion grows with every decision.
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Building a new life with ‘Chapter 2’
While Rhea has faced immense online trolling and professional setbacks, she has also worked to rebuild her life. Along with her brother Showik, she launched a clothing brand called ‘Chapter 2 Drip’ in August 2024. The name represents a second chance and a rise from darkness. The brand became a success and was valued at around ₹40 crore within a year.
Rhea had earlier shared that she wanted to name the brand “Chudail Ka Badla” (The Witch’s Revenge) or “Black Sheep” because that is how she and her family felt at the time. The brand now has offline stores and is expanding to Tier-II cities.
Rhea Chakraborty’s journey from being one of the most trolled celebrities in India to building a successful business shows her efforts to move forward. Her recent statements on The Traitors 2 highlight that while she has received a legal clean chit, the memory of the trolling and public judgement still stays with her.
Also Read: ‘Society cancelled us’: Rhea Chakraborty opens up about life after jail release
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