Weeks after Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar publicly accused his wife, Dhivya Sashidhar, of infidelity, she responded with serious counter-allegations, claiming that Sankar engaged in extramarital sexual affairs, coerced her into accepting an open marriage, and subjected her to abusive behaviour.
According to a report by The San Francisco Standard, which accessed Sashidhar's court documents, emails, photos, and other records, as well as conducted a personal interview with her, the escalating legal battle between the estranged couple has taken a dark turn.
Wife Alleges Coercion, Infidelity, and Surveillance
In her statements and interview, Sashidhar detailed disturbing accusations against her husband. She alleged that Sankar forced her into sexual activity even when she was recovering from childbirth complications, threatening consequences if she refused to do so. "Prasanna would come and tell me, ‘Look, sex is a primal need for me. You have to do it. It doesn’t matter, like, you know, how much pain you’re in," Sashidhar told The San Francisco Standard. She added, "He would literally, like, tell me that, you know, ‘If you don’t do it, then I want to go outside and get it.'"
Sashidhar also alleged that Sankar engaged with prostitutes, spied on her, and filmed her during her private daily activities in the bathroom. Emails obtained by The San Francisco Standard appear to corroborate some of Sashidhar's claims.
As per the report, in a December 2019 email to his wife, Sankar reportedly wrote about contacting escorts for photos and rates, stating, “I’m super sorry for the stress this put on our marriage. I promise to never put our marriage in this position again." In a subsequent email on the same day, he allegedly proposed an open marriage.
When questioned by The San Francisco Standard about these messages, Sankar revealed via email that their marriage was "sexless" at the time, and he had "several conversations with her to understand why this was the case." He admitted to discussing opening the marriage "in a moment of anger" but claimed, "We agreed not to do it."
Dispute Over Child Custody and Finances
Beyond the personal allegations, Sashidhar also claimed that Sankar repeatedly moved their family, including their nine-year-old son, between countries, first to California in 2020 and later to Singapore, allegedly to evade taxation on his significant wealth.
While they were moving to California, Sashidhar was reportedly employed by Microsoft and was working remotely. She further alleged that Sankar would pressure her into taking time off of work for sexual encounters, threatening her that he would seek other partners if she did not comply with his requests.
The couple is currently engaged in a legal battle for the custody of their son. Sankar had previously accused Sashidhar of having an affair and had also alleged harassment by Chennai Police in a child abduction case.
