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Neena Gupta has lived one of the most unconventional and openly discussed lives in the Indian film industry.
Neena Gupta’s relationship with Vivian Richards in the 80s was widely discussed.
Neena Gupta is not just known for her work in the film industry but also for her controversial life. The actress has lived one of the most unconventional and openly discussed lives in the Indian film industry. While she is back in the news because of her pregnancy rumours at 66, let’s take a look back at Neena’s personal life and why it grabbed everyone’s attention.
Neena Gupta’s Relationship With Vivian Richards
Neena Gupta and West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards were involved in a widely discussed relationship during the 1980s that attracted significant public attention and controversy. At the time, Richards was already married, and their relationship was considered unconventional in India. Despite the circumstances, the two grew close after meeting at a social gathering and began dating.
However, their relationship became even more controversial when Neena Gupta got pregnant. While Neena has repeatedly mentioned how people around her had advised abortion and warned her about the challenges of single motherhood, she decided to keep the child. In 1989, she gave birth to their daughter, Masaba Gupta.
In her memoir Sach Kahun Toh, Neena recounted feeling an initial rush of happiness upon learning she was pregnant. Still, she wanted to talk to Vivian before making a final decision. When he said he supported her, she felt relieved. “Vivian and I had an affair and I got pregnant. He had already returned home when I found out,” she wrote. She continued, “Some people advised me to get an abortion. Others cautioned against the perils of being a single parent. I listened to everyone patiently. They were all very concerned, I know. But once I was back home and alone, I asked myself: What do you think? How does this make you feel? The answer was: I was giddy with joy,” she wrote.
However, when even after Masaba’s birth, Richards did not leave his wife, his relationship with Neena ended. Gupta chose to raise Masaba as a single mother in India. Her choice attracted intense media scrutiny and social judgment, but she continued to pursue her acting career while raising her daughter independently.
Over the years, Neena Gupta has spoken openly about the relationship, saying she does not hold any resentment toward Richards. Neena Gupta was once asked about her bond with former cricketer when she dismissed the idea of hate and said, “Agar koi mereko itna bura lagta hai toh main bachcha usse paida karungi kyun? Mai pagal hun kya?”
Today, Masaba Gupta also shares a cordial relationship with her father, Vivian.
Pregnancy Rumours At 66
When Neena Gupta recently made a public appearance during the wedding reception of actors Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in Hyderabad, she left everyone wondering if she is pregnant. As Neena arrived for the event, she posed for the paparazzi. However, soon after her videos were shared on social media, a section of netizens claimed that the actress appeared to have a baby bump.
Recently, Neena addressed all speculations and clarified that she is not expecting any child at the age of 66. She reacted to the social media buzz with her trademark sense of humour and told Bollywood Hungama, “This is all I need, a real-life Badhaai Ho.”
“There is no Badhaai Ho. I am not pregnant. The truth is that the saree material was thick, which made me look bulky at the event,” she explained and then added, “But I must say, I love all this speculation about my pregnancy at my age. It shows we are evolving as a nation.”
March 13, 2026, 11:33 IST
