Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai had a close friendship with Salman Khan before her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan. It is reported that Aishwarya and Salman’s friendship reached the level of marriage but a split occurred between them in 2001.
In 2002, Aishwarya officially announced her separation from Salman citing multiple allegations against him. However, prior to these announcements, there had been rumours about a secret marriage between Aishwarya and Salman as well as claims that Aishwarya had converted to Islam.
According to Indian media, before Aishwarya’s marriage to Abhishek, there were reports that Salman Khan and Aishwarya had secretly married. The marriage ceremony was reportedly held at a bungalow in Lonavala, Pune and a cleric was brought from Mumbai for the ceremony. Neither of their parents attended the wedding and Aishwarya’s parents were reportedly unaware of their daughter’s marriage.
It was also reported that Aishwarya had converted to Islam to marry Salman and that they went on a honeymoon to New York after the marriage. These rumours affected Aishwarya’s career causing hesitation among producers considering her for roles.
Later, when asked about the marriage to Salman Khan during a showAishwarya responded with patience and composure:
The actress stated, “The industry is a very small place; if such a thing had happened, the entire industry would have known about it. I am not someone who would marry and then deny it. If I had married, I would have proudly announced it to the world. To say when this marriage would have happened is ridiculous.”
It is noted that Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were married in 2007. However, Aishwarya has recently been the subject of divorce rumours.
The couple has been married for over 17 years but separation rumours surfaced in July when the actress was seen on the red carpet at an event without her husband, Abhishek Bachchan.
