‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ is now streaming on Netflix. It continues to offer more drama and revelations than ever. While new faces have joined the cast, the season also delves deeply into the lives of the original stars of the show. One of the most emotional and eye-opening moments comes from Neelam Kothari, who opens up about her first marriage to Rishi Sethia and the impact it had on her life, including her daughter Ahana.
In a conversation with producer Ektaa R Kapoor, Neelam candidly spoke about the challenges she faced during her marriage to Rishi, which ended in divorce. She revealed that she had to make significant personal sacrifices in an attempt to make the relationship work.
Neelam recalled being asked to change her way of living, including her diet and clothing choices. But the hardest part, she says, was the pressure to give up her identity.
“I was told to wear Indian clothes, stop eating non-vegetarian food, and not drink. I was fine with the lifestyle changes, but I couldn’t let go of who I was,” Neelam shared. “There came a point where I asked myself, ‘How am I allowing this?’ It was a toxic situation, and I had to choose between my marriage and my own identity.”
As an actress, Neelam Kothari had built a strong public image, but she felt like she had to hide her true self to fit into the role her marriage demanded.
“I remember being in a supermarket or a restaurant, and people would come up to me and ask, ‘Are you Neelam, the actress?’ And I would have to say no,” she recounted. This constant denial of her past was emotionally draining, leading her to make the difficult decision to leave the marriage. “It was tough, but I wanted to make it work. You do crazy things for love. But I realized that no woman should have to lose herself for the sake of a relationship.”
One of the most painful moments for Neelam was when her daughter Ahana learned about her past marriage and divorce, not through her, but online. She described the day Ahana confronted her as a heartbreaking experience.
“I came home from work, and Ahana was with her friends. Normally, they’re full of energy, laughing and making noise, but this time, the room was completely silent,” Neelam recalled. “Ahana came up to me and said, ‘Mama, you never told me you were divorced.’ I felt like I had died in that moment. I didn’t know what to say.”
Ahana had discovered the information while Googling her mother with friends. “She said, ‘You’re a celebrity, and the first thing that came up when we searched your name was that you were divorced and had been married before.’ I was devastated, because that’s not how I wanted my daughter to find out,” Neelam Kothari shared.
Neelam’s marriage to Rishi Sethia ended after several years of trying to make it work. She later found happiness with actor Samir Soni, whom she married in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, the couple adopted Ahana, who has since been an integral part of their family.
This season of ‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ offers a raw glimpse into Neelam’s personal struggles.
‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ is now streaming on Netflix. It continues to offer more drama and revelations than ever. While new faces have joined the cast, the season also delves deeply into the lives of the original stars of the show. One of the most emotional and eye-opening moments comes from Neelam Kothari, who opens up about her first marriage to Rishi Sethia and the impact it had on her life, including her daughter Ahana.
In a conversation with producer Ektaa R Kapoor, Neelam candidly spoke about the challenges she faced during her marriage to Rishi, which ended in divorce. She revealed that she had to make significant personal sacrifices in an attempt to make the relationship work.
Neelam recalled being asked to change her way of living, including her diet and clothing choices. But the hardest part, she says, was the pressure to give up her identity.
“I was told to wear Indian clothes, stop eating non-vegetarian food, and not drink. I was fine with the lifestyle changes, but I couldn’t let go of who I was,” Neelam shared. “There came a point where I asked myself, ‘How am I allowing this?’ It was a toxic situation, and I had to choose between my marriage and my own identity.”
As an actress, Neelam Kothari had built a strong public image, but she felt like she had to hide her true self to fit into the role her marriage demanded.
“I remember being in a supermarket or a restaurant, and people would come up to me and ask, ‘Are you Neelam, the actress?’ And I would have to say no,” she recounted. This constant denial of her past was emotionally draining, leading her to make the difficult decision to leave the marriage. “It was tough, but I wanted to make it work. You do crazy things for love. But I realized that no woman should have to lose herself for the sake of a relationship.”
One of the most painful moments for Neelam was when her daughter Ahana learned about her past marriage and divorce, not through her, but online. She described the day Ahana confronted her as a heartbreaking experience.
“I came home from work, and Ahana was with her friends. Normally, they’re full of energy, laughing and making noise, but this time, the room was completely silent,” Neelam recalled. “Ahana came up to me and said, ‘Mama, you never told me you were divorced.’ I felt like I had died in that moment. I didn’t know what to say.”
Ahana had discovered the information while Googling her mother with friends. “She said, ‘You’re a celebrity, and the first thing that came up when we searched your name was that you were divorced and had been married before.’ I was devastated, because that’s not how I wanted my daughter to find out,” Neelam Kothari shared.
Neelam’s marriage to Rishi Sethia ended after several years of trying to make it work. She later found happiness with actor Samir Soni, whom she married in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, the couple adopted Ahana, who has since been an integral part of their family.
This season of ‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ offers a raw glimpse into Neelam’s personal struggles.
The anxiety was obvious. It was the fifth time John was calling in two hours. “We have to work this out, me and you. Come up with some story that can save my marriage,” he said.
I requested him to come to the clinic for a face-to-face discussion. In his first call, he had requested that I call his wife and lie to her that I had prescribed some movies for him to watch as treatment for his mental stress.
“But you know that is unethical John,” I had explained. But John would not listen. He called again and again, suggesting one lie after another. “I have been caught and I see no way out other than creating some story to scare her and calm her down,” he explained on arrival at the clinic.
John’s wife had discovered links to pornographic material on John’s computer. John had a habit of staying late watching pornography. He got pleasure out of it.
“But as you may know I also feel quite guilty after watching it, especially once I get sexual release,” he explained.
Pornography is a difficult topic. Currently, it is estimated that the porn industry mints more than $10 billion every year. Over 200 million hours are spent watching porn.
Pornography is more common in men than women. This is because men are more sexually visual, easily getting gratification from watching sexual acts. Women, on the other hand, are relational and get pleasure by watching romance in the context of relationships. It is for this reason that soap operas are popular with women just as much as pornography is popular with men.
Sexual rights activists promote sexual freedom and believe that everything goes as long as it does not interfere with other people’s rights. They believe that people should be allowed to explore their sexuality including learning new sexual information. They also believe that people have capacity to choose what is good for them and that this makes them realise their full sexual enjoyment. For them, porn is permissible.
Conservatives on the other hand believe that pornography corrupts the mind and leads to moral decadence; that good people can get poisoned by what they watch and can turn into sexual perverts and addicts. As such, they promote censorship of materials people watch to weed out porn as a way of promoting moral values.
Whatever your belief may be, if you are distressed by the number of hours you put on porn, you need to be aware of health guidelines relating to porn. First, if you have a sexual partner you should reveal all your sexual desires and practices to them.
“Eh doctor, that may not apply in our context!” John exclaimed.
I know most married people hide some of their sexual practices from their long-term partners, thereby living double lives. The question though, is how long one can hide such a regular practice from a person one is close to. Be sure to have a relationship crisis should your partner discover that secret side of your life. They feel fooled, lose confidence and stop trusting you. Marriage can easily break.
Secondly, porn is not reality, it is drama. People are paid to act. There is however a potential danger that people who watch porn can end up trying unusual things they watch in real life, sometimes with partners who may not even know what they are up to. If you choose to watch porn, do not carry what you watch to your marital bed. Your partner is not one of the porn actors you have watched online.
Third and very important, protect children from porn. Sexually explicit material is damaging to the young mind. It is very easy for children to bump into such materials if one or both partners are watching them in the house. If your children get exposed to the materials, you will have damaged them forever.
“All that is fine doctor but just tell me how to handle my wife now,” said John.
Although truthfulness may be the difficult route to take when you are in John’s situation, the results are better for a couple in the long run. Following an open discussion, some people decide to stop watching porn while others continue with the knowledge and permission of their partners. Some resort to mutual porn watching, a situation where a couple watches porn together.
Following the session, John brought his wife to the clinic for a follow-up visit. He broke the news about his porn behaviour to his wife in front of me. Incidentally, his wife had also been watching porn occasionally. They agreed to forgive each other and watch porn together.
“I hope you are fine with our decision doctor,” John said as they stood to leave the consultation room.
“If your values allow pornography then proceed,” I said. “Peace of mind is important.”
We live in a world with social constructs where, by and large, we are judged by our marital and socioeconomic statuses. A “successful marriage” is often taken as a sign of success.
What parameters are used to measure a “successful marriage”? Longevity? Stick-to-itiveness? Offspring? I believe a successful marriage is not about longevity or conceived beings and businesses, but about mutual affection and respect; regardless of whether the relationship is as brief as Simon Makonde’s proverbial lifespan or as record-breaking as Methuselah’s.
A person can be present in sickness and in health; but only as a tormentor in the former times and as a pretender in the latter.
This is why I believe a failed marriage does not make a failed person; it makes one a fearless person. Fearlessness is taking the risk of sharing a life and future with someone else. It is exploring the possibilities that life and destiny have in store with someone who is, by all intents and purposes, a stranger.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a person of faith. You took the step of faith to start a new life with someone, hoping that things would work out. Marriage is work, where you mostly work at yourself to become a better version of yourself before you proffer this supreme workmanship gift to someone else.
All your hard work is not in vain, though. You will see. In due time, you will see. Trust me. Such labours are never wasted.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you stronger. Sure, the relationship killed some things in you. But it didn’t kill you. You are still here. Still breathing. Still willing to take the risk.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a refined treasure. You have been refined by fire and, like gold, you are glittering. What’s better, you now know your real “mate-worth”. You now know that you cannot cast your pearls before pigs.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you an overcomer. You have overcome abuse, toxicity or narcissism. You have overcome depression and attacks that were meant to kill, steal and destroy your self-esteem, joy and dreams. You have overcome temptations to take revenge or take your life or take it on your children.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a phoenix. You are proof that one can rise from their ashes and soar and be and do all they were created for. You are proof that God still gives beauty for ashes.
A failed marriage makes you a living testimony that marriage is not the be-all and end-all. A testimony that we should not be defined by social constructs or expectations.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a responsible person. Responsible in that you accepted the relationship was over and you did not flog a dead horse. You did what many people are afraid to do; exit the stage after the curtains come down.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a sober soul. Many people get drunk with the marriage wine and, when the rubber meets the road, they cannot make correct decisions. Such persons often end up as roadkill.
But you are different, dear. You were sober and you made sober decisions at the right time and place and got out of harm’s way.
We live in a world with social constructs where, by and large, we are judged by our marital and socioeconomic statuses. A “successful marriage” is often taken as a sign of success.
What parameters are used to measure a “successful marriage”? Longevity? Stick-to-itiveness? Offspring? I believe a successful marriage is not about longevity or conceived beings and businesses, but about mutual affection and respect; regardless of whether the relationship is as brief as Simon Makonde’s proverbial lifespan or as record-breaking as Methuselah’s.
A person can be present in sickness and in health; but only as a tormentor in the former times and as a pretender in the latter.
This is why I believe a failed marriage does not make a failed person; it makes one a fearless person. Fearlessness is taking the risk of sharing a life and future with someone else. It is exploring the possibilities that life and destiny have in store with someone who is, by all intents and purposes, a stranger.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a person of faith. You took the step of faith to start a new life with someone, hoping that things would work out. Marriage is work, where you mostly work at yourself to become a better version of yourself before you proffer this supreme workmanship gift to someone else.
All your hard work is not in vain, though. You will see. In due time, you will see. Trust me. Such labours are never wasted.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you stronger. Sure, the relationship killed some things in you. But it didn’t kill you. You are still here. Still breathing. Still willing to take the risk.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a refined treasure. You have been refined by fire and, like gold, you are glittering. What’s better, you now know your real “mate-worth”. You now know that you cannot cast your pearls before pigs.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you an overcomer. You have overcome abuse, toxicity or narcissism. You have overcome depression and attacks that were meant to kill, steal and destroy your self-esteem, joy and dreams. You have overcome temptations to take revenge or take your life or take it on your children.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a phoenix. You are proof that one can rise from their ashes and soar and be and do all they were created for. You are proof that God still gives beauty for ashes.
A failed marriage makes you a living testimony that marriage is not the be-all and end-all. A testimony that we should not be defined by social constructs or expectations.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a responsible person. Responsible in that you accepted the relationship was over and you did not flog a dead horse. You did what many people are afraid to do; exit the stage after the curtains come down.
A failed marriage does not a failed person make; it makes you a sober soul. Many people get drunk with the marriage wine and, when the rubber meets the road, they cannot make correct decisions. Such persons often end up as roadkill.
But you are different, dear. You were sober and you made sober decisions at the right time and place and got out of harm’s way.
Jeff has appeared in multiple episodes of the Netflix reality show with Chelsea, with the star often talking positively about their love and years of marriage. Chelsea and Jeff had been together for almost ten years and had two children together before their shocking split.
Chelsea’s husband, Jeff is a managing partner for Icon Media Group, an advertising agency founded by his mother, Nancy Lazkani. He has held various roles within the company, including account coordinator, director, and vice president of business development and strategy, before becoming the managing partner in 2021.
The Start Of Chelsea and Jeff Lazkani’s Relationship
Via Netflix
Chelsea and Jeff Lazkani met on Tinder back in 2015. The real estate agent was in California for work, but didn’t plan on staying in Los Angeles permanently. “Almost 2 years ago I came to Los Angeles for what was meant to be a ‘short break’. I stayed because I fell in love…It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Chelsea wrote on a social media post celebrating their second wedding anniversary.
“We spoke about 15 times before getting together. I don’t want to waste my time and give my energy to somebody if I don’t think it will be worth it,” Chelsea said about meeting her ex-husband.
“I felt like I knew him before we even met and the connection was immediate.”
Despite Bre’s feud with Chelsea, the O Group agent went to her colleague with information. “A friend I’ve known for a couple of years, Amanda, asked to go to lunch,” she explains to Chelsea in Episode 5. “She told me that her friend, who she’s still very close with and sees, lives at the W Hotel in Hollywood, and that he saw your husband with some girl…”
While Bre claims she only had good intentions in bringing the information to Cheslea on camera, their Selling Sunset co-stars, Emma Hernan and Chrishell Stause wondered why a sensitive topic like infidelity was being brought up on camera. Bre sat on the information for two episodes, fearing that breaking the news would cause an even bigger rift between the group of women.
“As much as I dislike Chelsea, that is a heavy hitter to bring to her. Yes, I think she should know. But next time you throw rocks, you should check your house for any cracks before you come for mine,” she added. “I do not think I am the right person to tell Chelsea this information, at all. They say don’t shoot the messenger, but I think she will definitely shoot me.”
“She had suspected the cheating for a while and wanted to catch him in the act before filing,” the insider revealed. “She finally had enough and decided to file this week.”
“But it was a long time coming…”
“She is still in the house with their kids. She wants him to stay out of the house, and they are not on speaking terms.”
What Led To Chelsea And Jeff Lazkani’s Marriage Breakdown
In response to Chelsea Lazkani’s divorce filing, Jeff claimed that he wanted exclusive possession of their Manhattan Beach property “in part” because Chelsea had been “exhibiting suspicious behavior and several of my personal items within the property have gone missing or have been relocated” since she filed for divorce.
He added, “In the past, [Chelsea] demonstrated that she is capable of being physically violent and aggressive. For example, about a year ago, [Chelsea] struck me in the face, breaking my glasses and causing a small cut on the side of my face. I have never put a hand on [Chelsea] in a physically aggressive way.”
On Selling Sunset,
Chelsea explained her concern that her career in real estate led to the end of her marriage. “The one thing that has really broken my marriage more than anything is my choice of career that my partner doesn’t support very vocally. And that was the biggest pain point in my marriage over the last two years. It was just too much for him.”
Previously, Chelsea praised Jeff for supporting her career and balancing motherhood. “I think having the support of my husband and my family really essentially prepared me to take on this big role and this big opportunity,” The British-Nigerian reality star explained. “But for me personally, I saw this as an opportunity to really open doors in an industry that has lacked diversity and where minorities are underrated.”
In a confessional towards the end of Season 8 of Selling Sunset, Chelsea, who is seen without her wedding ring, laments about the end of her marriage. She revealed that she believed her life in Manhattan Beach would last forever and that she and Jeff fought so much that she was exhausted and couldn’t do it anymore.
