Actor Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about the impact of the Sushant Singh Rajput case on her family, claiming they lost their livelihoods and faced years of professional setbacks following the actor’s death in 2020, reports The Indian Express.
Rhea, who was dating Rajput at the time of his death, was named as a suspect by his family and various investigating agencies.
She and her brother Showik Chakraborty were also arrested in a drug-related case linked to the investigation.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later cleared Rhea and her family of the allegations in its 2025 closure report.
Speaking to Farah Khan on her YouTube vlog, Rhea said the intense scrutiny left her family feeling as though they had been “cancelled” by society.
Rhea recalled how her brother Showik’s plans to study at an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) were disrupted after his arrest.
“Shovik and I started Chapter Two Show because he got 97% in CAT. We had all that happen in 2020. The same year, he got 97%, he got arrested along with me,” she said.
According to Rhea, Showik had secured admission to an IIM and had already paid his fees, but missed his first trimester while in custody.
After their release, the siblings struggled to restart their professional lives.
“We used to be just sitting at home. In a way, we were cancelled by society. Nobody offered me films. Shovik wasn’t even getting a job. No corporate was willing to take him in,” she said.
Rhea said the impact extended to her father, a retired Army officer, who had secured a senior position at a hospital but was forced to leave after his connection to her became known.
“He had a very big job as a medical superintendent in one of the very big hospitals in town, and then they found out his surname and said, ‘Sir, you are Rhea Chakraborty’s father.’ He had to leave that job,” she recalled.
With the family struggling financially and professionally, Rhea and Showik eventually decided to build something of their own.
The siblings launched Chapter 2, a clothing brand and podcast, after deciding they no longer wanted to depend on others for employment.
Rhea said the idea for the clothing brand was partly inspired by a T-shirt she wore around the time of her arrest.
The shirt, gifted by an NGO, carried the message: “Roses are red, Violets are Blue, Let’s smash the patriarchy me and you.”
The T-shirt went viral while Rhea was unable to publicly respond to the controversy surrounding her.
“It spoke for me when I couldn’t myself,” she said.
The experience inspired the siblings to create clothing carrying messages that could give people a voice.
“And that’s how Chapter 2 started. It is doing well,” Rhea added.
Following Rajput’s death in June 2020, Rhea and her family faced allegations including abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation and money laundering.
The Narcotics Control Bureau also arrested Rhea in connection with a drug investigation and she spent nearly a month in prison.
The CBI filed its closure report in March 2025, reportedly finding no evidence to support allegations of abetment to suicide, illegal confinement or theft against Rhea and her family.
Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence in June 2020.
