The divorce proceedings involving Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK leader Vijay and his estranged wife, Sangeetha Sornalingam, have been adjourned until Aug. 7 by the Chengalpattu Mahila Court. The matter came up for hearing this week but concluded without any significant developments, with the court scheduling the next hearing for August.
Sangeetha has filed for divorce under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, seeking to end the couple's 27-year marriage. In her petition, she has alleged prolonged mental cruelty, emotional neglect, marital discord and adultery, reported Hindustan Times.
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According to court documents, Sangeetha claimed she discovered in April 2021 that actor-turned-politician Vijay was involved in a relationship with a female co-star, though no actress has been named in the legal filing.
The petition further alleged that despite assurances that the relationship would end, Vijay continued appearing and travelling publicly with the actress. Sangeetha claimed that photographs and social media posts related to these appearances caused her and their two children significant emotional distress and public humiliation.
In her legal petition, Sangeetha has formally invoked the principle of "constructive desertion" to justify the breakdown of her 27-year marriage to Tamil cinema star and politician Vijay. Under family law, constructive desertion applies when one spouse, rather than physically packing up and leaving, behaves in a manner so hostile, neglectful or emotionally abusive that the other spouse is left with no reasonable choice but to live a separate life, as per the reports.
The petition additionally alleged financial restrictions, claiming that facilities previously available to her were withdrawn and that limits were imposed on her financial independence.
Legal counsel representing both Vijay and Sangeetha had actively pushed for virtual court appearances, citing severe logistical hurdles and the security risks of navigating a high-profile celebrity couple through a public courthouse. The family court firmly denied the request, ruling that physical attendance is mandatory for the proceedings.
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Vijay and Sangeetha, who married in 1999 and have two children, have long been regarded as one of Tamil cinema's most prominent couples. The case has attracted widespread attention due to Vijay's status as both a leading film star and the serving Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
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