Shilpa Shetty blamed for marriage break-up

LONDON: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, winner of Big Brother reality TV show and a recent recipient of a honorary doctorate from Leeds University, has been accused of wrecking a marriage by a UK-based film producer's wife.

According to the News of the World tabloid, 25-year-old Kavita Kundra claimed the 32-year-old Bollywood diva is now "an item with her film producer husband Raj".

"Our marriage was in a rough patch but I was certain we could make it work for the sake of our new baby daughter. But then along came Shilpa. Suddenly Raj changed and now he wants a divorce," Kavita told the tabloid.

Reacting to the report, Shilpa's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar said in Mumbai, "the two are just friends, however cliched it may sound."

"All these rumours of Shilpa and Raj getting married are baseless. Raj is the licensor of the perfume Shilpa launched recently, so obviously they were seen together at public places," Bhagwagar said.

Asked about his relationship with Shilpa, Raj, 31, also told the tabloid: "We're just friends. I have a business relationship with Shilpa regarding her perfume. My marriage ended 12 months ago and it was nothing to do with Shilpa."

Later he telephoned to say he had only been estranged from his wife for nine months, according to the tabloid.

Bhagwagar also said the two met only four months ago, whereas Raj and Kavita separated 10 months back. "There is no question of Shilpa breaking their marriage."

According to Kavita, Raj broke the news of his secret relationship with Shilpa in February after she found fame in the Big Brother house as the victim of racist bullying.

Kavita admitted their three-year marriage had been through a rocky patch, but insisted: "Up until then Raj had been talking about putting it back together, making things work for the sake of our daughter."

Kavita's remarks come after a week of gossip fuelled by snaps of Shilpa and Raj -- who helped launch her S2 perfume -- shopping together. He also escorted her to a recent "Bollywood Oscars" bash in Yorkshire.