Payal Rohatgi reveals she battled alcoholism and self-harm after ‘love angle’ on Bigg Boss: ‘Tried to cut my hand’

Lock Upp contestant Payal Rohatgi recently shared on the show that she struggled with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts after her appearance on Bigg Boss. Payal Rohatgi had appeared on the second season of the reality TV show alongside Rahul Mahajan, Monica Bedi, Sanjay Nirupam, Sambhavana Seth, winner Ashutosh Kaushik, and others. Payal, who was rumoured to be romantically involved with Rahul, has now said without taking a name that a love angle from the show proved detrimental for her. Also Read| Kangana Ranaut consoles Payal Rohatgi on Lock Upp as she breaks down talking about not being able to get pregnant. Watch

In the latest episode, Lock Upp host Kangana Ranaut had given Payal the option to share her secret to avoid eviction. Payal then shared, “My last reality show was Bigg Boss season 2, and there also I was portrayed very negatively. There was a love angle there that was very detrimental to my personal life. Post that show, I got famous, but I got famous negatively. They used to think that I am a sidekick, because a person had said on that show said that ‘kabhi man kare to pizza khaao, kabhi man kare to pav bhaji khaao (do whatever you want to)’. I became one of those types.”

She added, “I got heavily into drinking. I used to drink for like 48 hours nonstop. I was an alcoholic. My mom didn’t know, my father was separated. I drank so much alcohol in those months that I didn’t know if it was day or night. I used to be on prescription drugs, I used to smoke, and I would only pray to God that I will leave everything if I get a nice boy. I was so sloshed, I used to be suicidal, I have tried to cut my hands, because I used to live alone at that time. That’s why I don’t have friends since Sangram came into my life.”

Payal recalled that she even spent a few months in rehab during that time, and even now gets triggered if she sees ingredients of a drug, or even cough syrup. She recalled a phone call to her father at the time, “I said, ‘I need you back, please come back, I am having a nervous breakdown. I don’t want to die. I want to live, but I am not able to control.'” She added that she doesn’t want to be perceived as a vamp or a villain in Lock Upp as well, and feels bad when she gets referred to these labels again.

While Payal did not name who the love angle on Bigg Boss was with, she was famously linked to Rahul Mahajan during her stint on the show. Both Payal and Rahul denied being in a relationship during the show,

The captivity-based reality show, which is in its finale week, also has Munawar Faruqui, Anjali Arora, Poonam Pandey, Prince Narula, Saisha Shinde, Shivam Sharma, and Azma Fallah among its final contestants.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918