'Not a gold digger, I was the diamond digger': Lalit Modi on Sushmita Sen
'Sushmita was very special to me. She made me grow into a lot of things that I am today and was extremely special,' says Lalit Modi in a podcast
- Jun 2, 2026,
- Updated Jun 2, 2026 3:32 PM IST
Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has opened up about his relationship with actor Sushmita Sen, describing her as a "remarkable" and self-made woman and joking that he was the "diamond digger" in the relationship.
Speaking on a Humans of Bombay podcast, Modi said Sen played an important role in his life and remains a close friend. "Sushmita was very special to me. She made me grow into a lot of things that I am today and was extremely special," Modi said. "It was a very very special relationship, and I have the fondest memories with her, and she's still a very very dear friend of mine."
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He praised Sen for raising her two daughters as a single mother and said, "She is a remarkable lady and a self-made lady."
Addressing allegations that Sen had been labelled a "gold digger" after their relationship became public in 2022, Modi strongly rejected the characterisation.
"Sushmita, please understand, is a very beautiful and a very well-to-do lady," he said, adding that she had built her wealth independently. "I don't know anybody knows this. She has more diamonds than anybody I know on the planet. And she earned it herself. And she had diamond stores. She's a very wealthy lady. She has done it all on her own."
"There wasn't a time I went out with Sushmita that I had to pay for anything. She paid for everything. I was like a kept boyfriend. So when somebody says she's a gold digger, no. Lalit was a diamond digger. More than she was a gold digger," he added.
Calling Sen "truly a diamond", Modi said their relationship "was never about money" and insisted she was financially independent and capable of doing whatever she wanted.
"She was truly a diamond - and as far as I was concerned, she could have anybody on the planet she wanted. It was never about money. It was never about anything else. And she is extremely well-to-do. I mean, she can buy what she wants and do what she wants and probably buy anybody she wants on the planet without a doubt."
Modi also recalled the social media post that triggered widespread speculation about their relationship. In July 2022, he posted photographs with Sen and wrote, "Just back in London after a whirling global tour #maldives #sardinia with the families - not to mention my #betterhalf @sushmitasen47 - a new beginning, a new life finally. Over the moon."
The post quickly went viral, prompting speculation that the two had married. Within an hour, Modi issued a clarification, writing: "Not married - just dating each other. That too, it will happen one day."
Asked whether Sen knew he was going to make the post, Modi said he shared it while sitting next to her on a flight.
"I did it right there in front of her. She didn't think I would do it. By the time we landed, hell had broken loose. But that was all right," Modi said, adding that neither of them regretted the decision. "We had a beautiful story. It's okay. I don't regret one minute."
Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has opened up about his relationship with actor Sushmita Sen, describing her as a "remarkable" and self-made woman and joking that he was the "diamond digger" in the relationship.
Speaking on a Humans of Bombay podcast, Modi said Sen played an important role in his life and remains a close friend. "Sushmita was very special to me. She made me grow into a lot of things that I am today and was extremely special," Modi said. "It was a very very special relationship, and I have the fondest memories with her, and she's still a very very dear friend of mine."
Don't Miss: 'IPL money is being siphoned off': Lalit Modi's explosive charge against BCCI
He praised Sen for raising her two daughters as a single mother and said, "She is a remarkable lady and a self-made lady."
Addressing allegations that Sen had been labelled a "gold digger" after their relationship became public in 2022, Modi strongly rejected the characterisation.
"Sushmita, please understand, is a very beautiful and a very well-to-do lady," he said, adding that she had built her wealth independently. "I don't know anybody knows this. She has more diamonds than anybody I know on the planet. And she earned it herself. And she had diamond stores. She's a very wealthy lady. She has done it all on her own."
"There wasn't a time I went out with Sushmita that I had to pay for anything. She paid for everything. I was like a kept boyfriend. So when somebody says she's a gold digger, no. Lalit was a diamond digger. More than she was a gold digger," he added.
Calling Sen "truly a diamond", Modi said their relationship "was never about money" and insisted she was financially independent and capable of doing whatever she wanted.
"She was truly a diamond - and as far as I was concerned, she could have anybody on the planet she wanted. It was never about money. It was never about anything else. And she is extremely well-to-do. I mean, she can buy what she wants and do what she wants and probably buy anybody she wants on the planet without a doubt."
Modi also recalled the social media post that triggered widespread speculation about their relationship. In July 2022, he posted photographs with Sen and wrote, "Just back in London after a whirling global tour #maldives #sardinia with the families - not to mention my #betterhalf @sushmitasen47 - a new beginning, a new life finally. Over the moon."
The post quickly went viral, prompting speculation that the two had married. Within an hour, Modi issued a clarification, writing: "Not married - just dating each other. That too, it will happen one day."
Asked whether Sen knew he was going to make the post, Modi said he shared it while sitting next to her on a flight.
"I did it right there in front of her. She didn't think I would do it. By the time we landed, hell had broken loose. But that was all right," Modi said, adding that neither of them regretted the decision. "We had a beautiful story. It's okay. I don't regret one minute."