Shefali Shah breaks silence on first marriage, speaks about emotional abuse: ‘This can kill me…’

In the glitzy and glamorous, it’s usually the picture-perfect lives of celebrities that come to the forefront. However, what happens behind the surface is a lot more than what meets the eye. One such similar story is of actress Shefali Shah, who recently opened up about the emotional abuse she faced in her first marriage and the moment she realised she had to walk away to save herself.

Shefali Shah on her first marriage

Speaking candidly during a podcast, Shefali reflected on a defining phase of her life that changed her perspective on relationships, self-worth and independence. Recalling a conversation with a close friend, she said, “For me, this realisation came after my first marriage. A close friend once asked me, ‘What if you never find love again? Would you take that risk or stay?’”

Shefali revealed that despite the fear of loneliness, her answer was clear. “I replied that I would still take the risk. If I have to spend my life alone, I would choose that. I cannot remain in a situation that doesn’t bring me joy and confidence or make me feel valued.”

The actor admitted that the emotional toll of staying in an unhealthy relationship slowly became unbearable. Shefali shared, “It may be happening every day, but then there’s that one moment when you realise, ‘Okay, this can kill me. I can’t do this anymore.’”

Shefali also spoke about ageing, self-acceptance, and shedding the constant need to please others. “As you age, you begin to care less. You become weary of trying to please everyone. That’s when I reached a state of enlightenment, realising that I am not pizza; I can’t satisfy everyone.”

She emphasised the importance of recognising one’s own worth, adding, “Nobody told me that you are enough. You don’t need a husband, a friend, a brother, a sister to be complete. You are enough.”

Shefali Shah on emotional abuse

Highlighting how emotional abuse is often dismissed, the actor said, “A lot of people go through it. A lot of us go through it. And you’re always told, and the constant question is, ‘Well, he didn’t hit you, right?’”

She further spoke about the leaving scares the harm leaves: “What you don’t realise is the kind of damage that is doing to you. It breaks you completely as a person.”

Personal life and recent work

Shefali was earlier married to actor Harsh Chhaya and later married filmmaker Vipul Shah in 2000. Speaking of her work, she was last seen in Delhi Crime Season 3, streaming on Netflix.