Actor Pradeep Antony hints at marital split, says 'gave up' on son in deleted post

Actor and Bigg Boss Tamil 7 fame Pradeep Antony shared and later deleted an emotional post about his marriage breakdown and his son. He hinted that he 'gave up' on his son a month back.

In Short

• He said fatherhood changed him and deepened his bond with the baby
• Pradeep wrote he had been away from his child for a month
• He expressed guilt over failing to build the family life he wanted

Actor and Bigg Boss Tamil fame Pradeep Antony opened up about a difficult phase in his personal life, hinting at a possible separation from his wife Pooja Shakthi and saying he has “decided to move away” from his marriage. He also wrote about 'giving up on his son' and admitted joking about 'selling' his unborn child with his friends. The actor, who became a father to a baby boy earlier this year, shared an emotional post on social media and deleted it.

In the now-deleted lengthy post, Pradeep spoke about his relationship with his child, his struggles within his marriage and his decision to step away from the relationship. He also expressed guilt over not being able to create the family environment he had hoped for.

Pradeep began by recalling how he had joked with his friends about “selling” his unborn child because he once felt he was too irresponsible to be a father. He said that after Pooja became pregnant, he even asked people to “reserve a spot” for the baby and pay him some money. However, his feelings changed after the child was born.

“Once it came into the world, I kinda became attached to it,” he wrote, recalling how the baby would listen to him and how being around the child made him happy. He then added that the baby was no longer with him. “This was the last I was happy with that kid. It's been a month since I had that,” he wrote, suggesting that he has been separated from his child for about a month.

Pradeep says he ‘gave up’ on the baby

The actor went on to say that he had “given up on the baby a month back” and that the decision had been eating away at him. He said he had always wanted to have a family, be a good father and provide his child with an environment completely different from the one he grew up in.

“But I failed,” he wrote.

Pradeep also reflected on his marriage, saying that he felt he had married the wrong person and that the relationship had changed him for the worse. “I think I married the wrong person and its made me a very bad person everyday since,” he wrote.

He said he often felt like he was waking up next to someone who was not part of his world and that there had been little effort to become part of each other's lives. “I was waking up next to someone who was not part of my world and never understood or made an effort to be part of it. She was still stuck with her own family and life. I felt like I was destroying someone's life everyday. I really don't know how to manage living with another person happily,” he wrote, describing the relationship as two people “colliding everyday” and resenting each other for being who they are.

He added that he felt the situation was unfair to both of them.

Pradeep also opened up about the emotional baggage he carried from a previous relationship. He said he had been weak at the time and held on to whatever love he could find, remaining loyal to it for years. According to him, that decision came at a cost.

“I've decided to move away from my marriage, because I'm really not able to breathe in that relationship,” he wrote, adding that he did not think his wife loved him any more either. The actor also said he missed his child that day, even though he struggled to put the feeling into words.

“I wasn't even able to name it something. It was always ‘IT’ in my head,” he wrote.

Pradeep ended the post by acknowledging that his decision to speak publicly about his emotions could invite calls asking him to remain silent. However, he said he did not have anyone to talk to. He also appeared to prioritise his child's well-being, saying that he believed it was better for the baby to be with his mother than to grow up witnessing parents who “hate each other”.

Pradeep and Pooja welcomed their first child in 2026

Pradeep married Pooja Shakthi in November 2024 after being in a relationship with her for a few years. The couple had two wedding ceremonies, according to reports. In April 2026, Pradeep announced that they had welcomed a baby boy. He shared a picture of the newborn's hand and received wishes from fans and fellow television personalities.

The latest post, which was subsequently deleted, is a public indication from Pradeep that his marriage has been going through a difficult phase. He has not publicly confirmed a divorce or legal separation, and it is unclear what the current custody arrangements for their child are.

Pradeep rose to wider fame with Bigg Boss Tamil 7 in 2023. His stint on the reality show ended abruptly after he was issued a red card following allegations by fellow contestants that they did not feel safe around him.

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