Not Just Ankita Lokhande, These Celebs Were Labelled Gold Diggers Too

In recent Bigg Boss 17 episodes, contestant Abhishek Kumar sparked controversy with his aggressive behaviour and inappropriate remarks. During a heated argument, he made derogatory comments towards Vicky Jain, calling him an "old man" at 40 years old. He also insulted actor Ankita Lokhande, referring to her as "pagal" and "nalli." The situation escalated further as he accused Lokhande of marrying Vicky for money, leading to a tense confrontation. 

This is not the first time the internet has had problems with women choosing their partners. The scrutiny peaks if the partner is somehow richer, successful or younger, had a famous ex or even had children. Unless the man is conventionally fit to be a  potential husband to the woman, she is wrong to have chosen him.

These Actors Were Labelled As Gold Diggers Too

After being trolled as a 'Gold Digger', Sushmita Sen called out the scrutiny she has been facing ever since businessman Lalit Modi announced their relationship. Sen crafted a reply to "gold-digger" brickbats and said, "I dig deeper than Gold and I've always (famously) preferred Diamonds!! And yes I still buy them myself!!!" 

Sen shared an article by SheThePeople that called out the problematic stereotyping of women who date well-off men as "gold diggers". The tweet included the article's headline, 'The Problematic Culture Of Calling Women Gold Diggers,' and with clapping emoticons and the hashtag ‘Self-made woman.’ "I've never lived on the transient borrowed light of approval and applause. I am the Sun... perfectly Centred in my being & my conscience," Sen later wrote in an Instagram post.

However, Sen isn't the first female actor who has been at the receiving end of such sly remarks for her dating choices. Below is a list of so-called Bollywood gold diggers who endured hate for their dating choices:

Rhea Chakraborty

Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput

Chakraborty was relentlessly trolled after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at home in Mumbai on June 14 2020. Due to allegations of foul play by his family, Rajput's death was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. His girlfriend Chakraborty has been dragged through the mud as an ice queen and a gold-digger, with Rajput's family blaming her for his demise. Images of Chakraborty being pushed and shoved by cameramen, with no regard for social distancing, set the Internet on a polarising debate regarding the cruel coverage of media.

Shehnaaz Gill

Gill was recently slammed by many after her photos and videos from the Eid bash hosted by Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan and her husband Aayush Sharma surfaced on social media. In several of them, she was seen hugging and kissing Salman which netizens felt was out of line. Several called her a gold digger and a drunkard for behaving inappropriately. However, many of her fans stood in her defence and argued that her behaviour was justified, knowing how much she adored Khan.

Malaika Arora 

Malaika Arora became a subject of online bullying when users started bashing her and calling her a gold digger after her divorce from Arbaaz Khan. One social media user trolled her for marrying a rich man for his money and then divorcing him for a hefty alimony.
This allegation, mind you, was made without reports to support the claim. The commenter didn't even bother to check the net worth of Khan and Arora as individuals and simply spewed hate fueled by misogyny.

Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa Shetty along with her husband Raj Kundra.

Despite having a glowing career in the 90s, winning the international reality show Big Brother and acquiring fame abroad, questions were raised about Shetty’s career and popularity after she married business tycoon Raj Kundra.

The scrutiny only got worse when Raj Kundra’s ex-wife, Kavita Kundra accused Shilpa of being a home wrecker. She had said that it was because of Shetty that Raj had left her and their newborn daughter.

Addressing the allegations, Shetty clarified in an interview, "My understanding is that Raj and Kavita’s marriage was over a year ago before we met and they have filed for divorce and have been living separately for over a year. I met Raj Kundra in a business capacity, so it is impossible to think how the question of me breaking up her marriage arises. I am disgusted by her reported comments and completely refute the allegation. My culture and upbringing do not permit me to break marriages and I am the least interested in knowing or hearing any more about her.”

Mandana Karimi

Mandana Karimi, an Iranian actress and model based in India, opened up about being labelled a gold-digger during her stint on Kangana Ranaut’s reality show Lock Upp. Talking about how assumptions are made about her lifestyle and spending purely based on who she dates, Karimi said, “I may look fancy but I am spoiling myself with my money. It’s what I have earned. As far as my dating is concerned, yes, I have dated powerful men. But it is not for their money."