Babu Antony speaks out after 30 years: ‘I walked away from a toxic relationship before it destroyed me’

Breaking his long silence on allegations surrounding his personal life, actor Babu Antony has said he once found himself in a friendship with the wrong person, but chose to walk away when he sensed it was turning unhealthy. Speaking on the programme Nere Chovve on Manorama News, he clarified that the association lasted only a year and dismissed claims that it had continued for four years. “If you ask whether I have made mistakes in my career, yes, I have. It happened in 1994. I became friends with the wrong person. At that time, I was single, but I was mingling too. I had friends, and when I felt the relationship was turning toxic, I ended it in 1995,” he said.

He added that the episode brought with it a wave of challenges, including threats aimed at tarnishing his image. The choice before him, he said, was stark: either submit to the other person’s demands and continue in a life he had no desire for, or risk damage to his reputation and safeguard his future. “In the end, I chose to protect my life,” he said.
Reflecting on relationships, he noted that being single often involves different kinds of connections such as friendships or even dating, but they do not necessarily culminate in love. If a relationship turns toxic, one can step away before it deepens. After his first love, he said, he had decided against marriage and to focus instead on his film career, adding that love is a deep emotion that should not come at the cost of one’s well being.

The actor also made it clear that he had no intention of taking that relationship forward to marriage. “We met in 1994 on the sets of the film ‘Kadal, and I soon realised it was heading in the wrong direction. I ended it while I was working on 'Arabia',” he said, reiterating that the association lasted only about a year.
Dismissing claims that they had lived together for four years, he pointed out that during that phase, between his studies and marriage, he never stayed in one place for long. Working across multiple film industries, he was mostly on shooting locations. “It was only after my marriage that I lived in Ponkunnam for about nine years,” he added.

“This incident dates back 32 years. At that time, I was single and naturally formed friendships. Perhaps my entry into the industry and the fame I enjoyed then were seen as a threat by a certain group. They blew the matter out of proportion and sections of the media turned it into a major story,” he said.
He noted that the film magazine Nana was aware of the truth. “In the presence of both the person concerned and me, they had asked me about this friendship, and I had clearly stated that I had no intention of getting married,” he said. Yet, for nearly six years, the controversy continued to surface in newspapers and other publications. “It often felt as though someone was orchestrating these reports from behind, with the intent of ensuring that I would never make a comeback. I suspect that she may have been used as an instrument in this. It was a calculated attempt to tarnish my image,” he added.

Babu Antony also recalled how a wedding reception was falsely announced in his name at a hotel in Chennai called Palm Grove. “Invitation cards were even distributed. I have never been there even for a cup of tea. At that time, I was in the United States. Not even the media bothered to verify when the marriage had actually taken place. It was merely reception cards that were circulated,” he said in the interview. “I remained silent all these thirty years, and perhaps that was my mistake.”
“I chose to remain silent because I did not want to step into muddy waters and get smeared again,” he continued. “These were not people one could reason with. With ordinary individuals, issues can be discussed and resolved, but what if they are intent on attacking and destroying you? They threatened that if I did not comply, they would ruin my career and image and bring me down. That is why I stayed silent.”

He said he has now decided to speak out so that the truth is known. “No matter how much we try to explain, what others say often spreads more widely. But people should know the truth. The claim that we lived together for four years is absolutely false,” he said.