Indian Olympic medallist boxer Mary Kom, through an official statement issued by her advocate, confirmed that she and her husband, Karung Onkholer, had legally divorced on December 20, 2023. The announcement comes amid growing rumours and online speculation linking Mary Kom to her business associate, Hitesh Choudhary. Dismissing these claims, Mary Kom categorically denied any extramarital affair and clarified that her separation from Onkholer was mutual and had been in place for nearly two years.

“In the light of these speculative and incorrect media reports, I wish to issue the following clarifications: Ms. M.C. Mary Kom and Mr. Onkholer (Onler) Kom are no longer married and they have finalized their divorce by mutual consent under KOM CUSTOMARY LAW on December 20 2023, in the presence of both family members and leaders of the clan as the adjudicating authorities.” the statement read.

“The rumours regarding my client’s relationship involvement with Mr. Hitesh Choudhary or being in a relationship with another boxer’s husband, are categorically denied and should not be propagated by any media platform,” the statement added.

Mary Kom took to her social media handle to share the statement, where she even denied the additional rumours that stated her extramarital relationship with another boxer’s husband. She went on to ask media outlets to refrain from interfering in her personal life, and also any further speculative publications about her relationships.

“Over the past two years, my client has been going through a deeply challenging time in her personal life, especially with her ex-husband. During this difficult hour, my client requests her friends, fans, and well-wishers to kindly give her the space and privacy she needs to navigate this difficult time. This notice serves as a formal request for all media entities, in all forms, to refrain from making baseless speculations about my client,” the directive continued.

“It is imperative that the media respects Mary Kom’s privacy and personal space. One press conference at Manipur has already been done to this effect. Failure to comply with these requests will prompt legal action against those who violate this notice, including but not limited to claims of defamation both civil and criminal and breaches of privacy rights as per applicable laws,