Samay Raina has denied dating rumours with fellow comedian Sharon Verma, which had picked up steam after their playful banter on India’s Got Latent Season 2.
During an Instagram AMA on Wednesday, a fan asked him directly if he was dating Sharon. He replied, “No brother, just internet doing its thing.”
The speculation started after Sharon, who appeared as a panellist alongside Orry and Archana Puran Singh, traded jokes with Samay about their Bihari and Kashmiri roots, respectively.
Fans picked up on their chemistry and eye contact, leading to romantic edits circulating online.
The exchange also drew political criticism, with BJP MLA Ram Kadam saying, “There are certain forces in society that deliberately make controversial statements simply to gain publicity… the deities of Sanatan Hinduism and Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridicule.”
Sharon isn’t the only woman the 28-year-old comedian has been linked to recently, he’s also been rumoured to be involved with actor Medha Shankr, after calling her his “sabse acchi dost” during an episode and appearing to go easier on her during a roast compared to other guests.
This comes after Samay’s show faced major controversy last year when Ranveer Allahbadia’s remarks on a Season 1 episode led to FIRs against him, Samay, and the show, prompting Samay to pull all episodes from YouTube.
Season 2, launched this year, has drawn some criticism for being more filtered but continues to pull large audiences, with one episode reportedly crossing 4 crore views in 24 hours.