Rhea Chakraborty Says She ‘Still Believes in Love’ Years After Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death, Reveals Therapy Helped Her Recover

Actor Rhea Chakraborty has shared how intensive therapy and a conscious effort to avoid bitterness helped her rebuild her life following the emotional trauma and intense media scrutiny that followed the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020. Speaking in a recent interview with Variety India, the 33-year-old actress reflected on her four-year healing journey, noting that while the experience profoundly altered her outlook on life, she remains committed to moving forward without harbouring resentment. Rhea Chakraborty Leaves Fans Concerned As She Announces Break From Social Media, Says ‘Missing Myself a Little’ (View Post).

Actor Rhea Chakraborty has shared how intensive therapy and a conscious effort to avoid bitterness helped her rebuild her life following the emotional trauma and intense media scrutiny that followed the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020. Speaking in a recent interview with Variety India, the 33-year-old actress reflected on her four-year healing journey, noting that while the experience profoundly altered her outlook on life, she remains committed to moving forward without harbouring resentment.

Rhea Chakraborty Recalls Emotional Trauma After Sushant Singh Rajput Case

The sudden passing of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020 triggered a highly publicised legal battle and an intense media trial that deeply impacted Chakraborty, who was Rajput's partner at the time. Reflecting on how the experience fundamentally altered her personality, Chakraborty noted that the sheer scale of the situation forced her to mature rapidly.

"I definitely have changed a lot. I’m definitely wiser," Chakraborty said. "My friends joke that I’m an 80-year-old inside the body of a 33-year-old, because I’ve seen a lot. You can’t unsee those life experiences, and it changes who you are."

Despite the hardships, the actress emphasised that she fought hard to protect her core identity from being entirely consumed by the crisis. "Is my core still the same? I hope so. Because I also didn’t want to be bitter. I don’t think I am," she admitted. "I have been angry. I have been bitter. But I’ve worked really hard to kind of not let my life situation and my life change who I am or dictate who I become as a person."

Rhea Chakraborty on Navigating Recovery Through Four Years of Therapy

A central pillar of Chakraborty's recovery process has been professional mental health support. She disclosed that she has been consistently attending therapy sessions since 2020 to process the residual trauma of the legal and social backlash.

"I’ve been in therapy for the last four years," Chakraborty stated, explaining that the practice allowed her to compartmentalise her past. "I think that’s really helped me have a perspective on who I’m becoming and not letting trauma just override what I’m becoming."

Chakraborty added that she deliberately rejects a victim mindset, choosing instead to focus on standard personal and professional milestones. "I choose to still be kind. I choose to still believe in love, and I choose to just be normal, really. I choose not to feel specially picked out by the universe to go through this," she said. "I’m just a girl who’s trying to live her life and make money and go out and create something, and all the things that a 30-year-old would want to do."

Redefining Trust and Learning to Love Freely

The aftermath of the 2020 controversy also forced a significant shift in Chakraborty’s social circle and her capacity to trust others. When asked if her capacity to love has changed, she acknowledged that her existing relationships were forged entirely by who stood by her during her darkest moments.

"Do I love anyone more than the people I already trust? I don’t know," she reflected. "I feel like 2020, or the trauma part of my life, kind of just… I say my friends chose me. I didn’t choose them, because whoever stayed became the people I trust and love the most." Sushant Singh Rajput Case: Mumbai Court Defreezes Rhea Chakraborty’s Bank Accounts.

While she describes her current life as "full" regarding her support system, Chakraborty admitted that fully opening up remains a work in progress. "I do want to love more freely, and I don’t mean it just in a romantic way. I just mean love. And I hope I get there. I’m not sure if I am entirely there right now," she concluded.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2026 06:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).