Popular Indian rapper Badshah and Punjabi actress Isha Rikhi have announced their decision to separate, just five months after marrying. They confirmed the split in a joint statement on social media Monday. Badshah and Isha had completed their wedding in a private ceremony in March this year. After living together for a few months, they decided to separate by mutual agreement.
In a statement posted to his Instagram Story, Badshah said the two had decided to move forward on separate paths in life. He said the decision was made while maintaining mutual respect for each other. The rapper asked fans and well-wishers to respect their personal decision, and both asked people not to speculate further about the split.
Badshah further clarified that this would be their only statement on the matter, indicating they did not intend to comment further on the separation in the future.
Talk of distance growing between Badshah and Isha is not new. Rumors about their relationship had circulated on social media since July. Around that time, Isha Rikhi posted a montage of photos and videos of moments spent with Badshah, captioned: “Every storm is a lesson. Every prayer is a hope.”
With broken-heart and folded-hands emojis alongside the caption, many read the post as a hint of strain in their relationship. Several social media posts by Isha’s mother, Poonam Rikhi, also drew attention afterward, in which she shared multiple posts about “karma.” Those posts, too, sparked fresh discussion about Badshah and Isha’s relationship.
Isha Rikhi had publicly confirmed her marriage to Badshah a few months before news of the split broke, acknowledging it in response to a fan’s question during an “Ask Me Anything” session on Instagram in June. Isha’s professional life had also recently been the subject of discussion, with her name reportedly being considered as a contestant for the upcoming “Bigg Boss 20,” hosted by Salman Khan. It was amid that discussion that news of her split from Badshah emerged.
Before marrying Isha Rikhi, Badshah had been in a relationship with Jesmin Masih. They formally separated in 2020. The former couple has a daughter, born in January 2017.