Dheeraj Dhoopar's wife, Vinny Arora, has addressed the 'Lock Upp 2' chit controversy, saying she acted out of concern for her husband's health rather than to influence the game.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GooglePopular television actor Dheeraj Dhooper found himself embroiled in an unexpected chit scandal in a recent episode of Riteish Deshmukh-hosted Netflix reality series Lock Upp 2. Amid the rising social media backlash for letting the actor go with a simple warning, Dhooper's longtime wife, actress Vinny Arora, broke her silence about the controversy. According to her, the television star was so unwell that he almost backed out of the reality show.
Just days after Riteish Deshmukh publicly warned Dheeraj over alleged attempts by his family to send handwritten notes into the jail, Vinny admitted she made an "emotional mistake" but insisted her actions stemmed from concern for her husband's health. In a recent video shared on social media, Vinny recalled how Dheeraj struggled physically before filming began and nearly withdrew from the show. She shared:
"When Dheeraj was about to leave for the Lock Upp shoot, he was so unwell that he almost backed out. But he obviously did not want to let the makers down and wanted to stay true to his commitment. So somehow he convinced himself, I convinced him, and we left for the shoot."
Given Dheeraj's health crisis, Vinny says watching the recent episodes of Lock Upp 2 only heightened her anxiety as she believed his health was deteriorating inside the jail. The actress, who recently celebrated her 17th anniversary with Dheeraj, said she noticed changes in his appearance, particularly his swollen eyes, and felt something was wrong. In her words:
"Every time I watched the episodes, I felt that he wasn't keeping well. He had these puffy eyes that he usually doesn't have. I know when he is happy, when he is sad, and when he is sick. I can't prove it, but I felt it in my heart that he was not well."
In her emotional video note, the actress further stressed how she was simultaneously caring for their son, Zayn, while her husband stayed inside the set, looking sick. The couple's son was also unwell at the time and required her attention.
Speculations have been rife that Dhooper was aware of the chits found in his prison uniform and was using them to twist the game to his advantage. Addressing the allegations head-on, Vinny denied that the intercepted notes contained gameplay advice or winning strategies.
Vinny argued instead that the message simply asked Dheeraj whether he was okay and requested him to give her a sign if he wasn't feeling well. She said, "In that message, I asked Dheeraj if he was okay. If he wasn't, he should give me a sign. If he was okay, then he should play his game more actively."
The actress acknowledged that there was "no outside information, no strategy, nothing like that. It was just a wife concerned about her husband." She admitted that even though attempting to pass the message violated the show's rules, she acted emotionally during a difficult moment. She apologised to fans, saying, "I made an emotional mistake."
Vinny also claimed the makers understood where she was coming from and recognised that Dheeraj himself was not trying to gain an unfair advantage.
It all started when, during a recent episode of Lock Upp 2, host Riteish Deshmukh called Dheeraj into the jailer's cabin and confronted him over alleged attempts by his family to send secret notes into the competition. According to Riteish, Dheeraj had been allowed to meet his son on humanitarian grounds, during which someone from his family allegedly tried to pass handwritten chits. He further alleged that another set of notes was later found hidden among the contestant's belongings sent from home.
While this was strictly against the no outside contact rule, Riteish issued him a final warning as Dheeraj was unaware of the chits. His wife, too, emphasised that he was not to be blamed for it. The actor immediately apologised and urged his family not to send him any further messages. Although the show accepted Vinny's explanation, many viewers questioned why he escaped with only a warning, with many accusing the makers of favouritism.
What is your take on the chit controversy? Let us know!
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