Priyanka Chopra and Gerard Butler

Fashion star Priyanka Chopra was also linked with Hollywood star Gerard Butler during his visit to India. He also flew down to Jaipur with his friends when our former Miss World was shooting for a movie.

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6 Controversial Priyanka Chopra’s Link-Ups That Once Made Loud Noise In The Industry

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of the most transformative figures in modern entertainment. From her Miss World win in 2000 to conquering Bollywood and then establishing a global career in Hollywood, her journey has been nothing short of spectacular. While her professional life has been marked by towering achievements, her personal life, particularly before her marriage to Nick Jonas, was a constant subject of intense media scrutiny and speculation.

Bollywood’s gossip mills thrived on every rumour, alleged affair, and clandestine meeting involving the ‘Desi Girl.’ These relationships, though often unconfirmed by the actress herself, generated a fever pitch of controversy that at times, reportedly even impacted her career and personal equations within the industry.

Here is a look at six alleged and highly scrutinised romantic links that generated the loudest noise in both the Indian and international media.

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1. The Shah Rukh Khan Controversy: The Rift That Shocked Bollywood

Perhaps the most significant and industry-shaking controversy of Priyanka Chopra’s career was the intense rumour of an alleged affair with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, a relationship that was never officially confirmed by either party.

The speculation began to brew around 2011, during and after the filming of the Don franchise, where their on-screen chemistry reportedly spilled over into a palpable closeness off-screen. They were frequently spotted together at late-night events, parties, and various functions, which further fuelled the gossip in a way that was unusual for a married Bollywood icon like SRK.

• The Industry Backlash: The alleged relationship reportedly caused a significant rift in the Bollywood fraternity, particularly affecting Shah Rukh Khan’s relationship with his wife, Gauri Khan.
• The ‘Ban’: According to reports, Gauri Khan’s close friends, including powerful filmmaker Karan Johar, were believed to have sidelined Priyanka Chopra, leading to an alleged ‘boycott’ from a certain industry clique and a subsequent decline in her Bollywood film offers.
• The Jacket Clue: Years later, the rumours gained new life when Priyanka appeared on an international talk show, Dirty Laundry, and described a specific brown leather jacket as belonging to an “ex-boyfriend,” an item that eagle-eyed fans instantly identified as resembling one frequently worn by Shah Rukh Khan.

The controversy marked the point where Priyanka Chopra shifted her focus to Hollywood, which many saw as a strategic move following the professional backlash she was reportedly facing in India.

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2. The Alleged Affair with Akshay Kumar: The ‘Bone of Contention’

Another massive controversy involved a married co-star and superstar, Akshay Kumar. Priyanka and Akshay formed a commercially successful on-screen pair in the early 2000s, featuring in hits like Andaaz, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, and Aitraaz. Their sizzling chemistry, however, led to persistent rumours of an alleged affair.

• The Spousal Intervention: Reports at the time suggested that the alleged link-up did not sit well with Akshay Kumar’s wife, Twinkle Khanna. The controversy reportedly reached a peak when Twinkle Khanna allegedly confronted her husband on the set of their film, Waqt: The Race Against Time.
• A Film Drop-out: A filmmaker, Suneel Darshan, later claimed that Akshay Kumar backed out of a movie they were doing together, Barsaat, just before the final schedule, because of the “issues” that had come up between him and his wife due to the rumours.
• Priyanka’s Stance: In a later interview, when asked why she stopped working with Akshay Kumar, Priyanka diplomatically stated that she never wanted to be “a bone of contention in someone’s happy life,” effectively acknowledging the tension and her choice to step away. Since 2005, the two have not been cast in a film together.

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3. The Shahid Kapoor Link-up: The Income Tax Raid Reveal

The relationship between Priyanka Chopra and actor Shahid Kapoor, though never fully confirmed by them, remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about “open secrets”. Their romance reportedly began on the set of Kaminey in 2009. The controversy that cemented the public’s perception of their relationship occurred in 2011.

• The IT Raid Incident: In January 2011, Income Tax officials reportedly conducted a surprise raid on Priyanka Chopra’s apartment in the wee hours of the morning.
• The Shocking Revelation: The major headline was that the door to her apartment was allegedly opened by none other than Shahid Kapoor, dressed only in a pair of shorts, a detail that publicly confirmed they were spending the night together.
• Priyanka’s Confession: Years later, Priyanka semi-confirmed the incident, stating that in the moments of panic during the unexpected raid, Shahid was the only person she could call who was close enough to arrive quickly. The relationship eventually ended, reportedly on a turbulent note with rumours of ego clashes and possessiveness.

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4. The Harman Baweja Romance: The Career Clash

In contrast to the secretive nature of other relationships, Priyanka Chopra’s relationship with actor Harman Baweja was, for a time, relatively public. The two met while filming the 2008 sci-fi film Love Story 2050.

• Public Acknowledgment: The relationship was widely known and lasted for less than two years, ending by the time their second film together, What’s Your Raashee?, was released in 2009.
• The Reason for Breakup: The controversial part came not from external drama, but from the professional-personal imbalance. Harman Baweja publicly took the blame for the split, stating that his intense focus on reviving his fledgling career after two consecutive flops meant he was unable to give Priyanka the time she needed. He confessed that he became too engrossed in his work on What’s Your Raashee? and couldn’t prioritise their relationship, which led to their separation.

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5. The Aseem Merchant Link-up: The Biopic Dispute

Before her grand entry into Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra was allegedly linked to model Aseem Merchant during her modelling days. While this initial link-up was prior to her mega-stardom, it resurfaced as a major controversy years later.

• The Managerial Angle: Controversy flared up when Priyanka’s former manager, Prakash Jaju, alongside Aseem Merchant, announced plans to make a biopic on Jaju’s life, which promised to delve into the “stormy” details of Priyanka’s alleged early life and relationships, specifically mentioning her relationship with Merchant.
• The Legal Notice: Priyanka Chopra’s team took swift legal action, sending a notice to them to stop the production without her consent. This move brought the old, alleged affair back into the public eye and created significant buzz, with the actress being determined to protect her privacy and image.

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6. The Tom Hiddleston Rumour: The Hollywood Flirtation

Even after successfully transitioning to the international scene, the paparazzi focus remained intense. A major global talking point arose from her very public appearance at the 2016 Emmy Awards with Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston.

• Emmys Buzz: The duo, who presented an award together, were highly flirtatious on stage, with Hiddleston giving her a public twirl. Rumours immediately spread that they were seen holding hands and “flirting” heavily at the after-party, and some sources even claimed they exchanged kisses on the cheeks.
• The Confirmation Hype: The link-up gained viral momentum when actress Lea Michele, a guest on a talk show, suggested that Hiddleston “loves” Chopra and that they were flirting.
• Priyanka’s Denial: Priyanka, however, quickly shut down the rumours, joking that she had only met him for 15 minutes backstage where he was helping her “adjust my dress”. Nevertheless, the short-lived speculation was one of the first major Hollywood dating controversies she faced, firmly placing her on the global gossip radar.

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The Fairytale Ending: Finding Peace in Nick Jonas

Despite a career spent constantly navigating the high-pressure world of rumoured link-ups and industry politics, Priyanka Chopra eventually found her lasting partner in American musician Nick Jonas. Their whirlwind romance led to a lavish wedding in 2018, marking a definitive end to the chapter of ‘controversial affairs’ and beginning a new phase of stability and international celebrity couple power. The ability of Priyanka Chopra to survive and thrive amidst such intense public scrutiny stands as a testament to her resilient spirit and focus on her ultimate career ambition.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: Who was Priyanka Chopra’s most controversial alleged affair partner?

A: Priyanka Chopra’s most controversial alleged affair partner was widely reported to be superstar Shah Rukh Khan, which began around the time of the Don 2 filming. The controversy led to a noticeable professional distance between the two actors and reportedly caused a significant rift within certain sections of the Bollywood industry.

Q2: Which relationship of Priyanka Chopra was revealed due to an Income Tax raid?

A: The alleged relationship between Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor was inadvertently revealed when Income Tax officials raided her house in 2011, and it was reportedly Shahid Kapoor who opened the door to the authorities.

Q3: Why did Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar stop working together?

A: Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar stopped working together following widespread rumours of an alleged affair, which reportedly caused tension in Akshay Kumar’s marriage to Twinkle Khanna. Priyanka later alluded to the situation, stating she never wanted to be a “bone of contention in someone’s happy life”. They have not shared screen space since 2005.

Q4: Was Priyanka Chopra’s relationship with Harman Baweja controversial?

A: The relationship with Harman Baweja was one of the few that was publicly acknowledged, and while it lacked the external “scandal” of others, it became controversial when the actor publicly stated that their break-up was his fault for not giving her enough time due to his focus on his struggling career.

Q5: What was the controversy with Aseem Merchant?

A: The controversy with Aseem Merchant, an alleged early-life partner, resurfaced years later when he and her former manager, Prakash Jaju, announced plans to make a biopic about Jaju’s life which promised to reveal details of her early relationships. Priyanka Chopra’s team took legal action to stop the production.