Malaika Arora with her former husband, actor Arbaaz Khan. (Express archive photo)Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan were married for 19 years before they went their separate ways in 2017, but a decade before that, they were once accused of spreading rumours about their separation in 2008 for a brand promotion. Senior journalist Vickey Lalwani, in a chat with actor Pooja Bhatt, revealed that Malaika actually confirmed the story of her divorce but later, when he confronted her about her alleged lies, she asked him, “Why should I tell you the truth?”Vickey was asked about any story that “blew up in his face” and he recalled that back in 2008, he got a call from a film director who told him that Malaika and Arbaaz were heading for a divorce. He recalled writing a story where he “said that Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan are breaking up.” He added, “They were doing an ad with a brand where they come together and separate or something.”Vickey alleged that Malaika and Arbaaz had “obviously percolated that story through via-via channels to somehow reach the media that they are breaking up, though they were not breaking up in those times. Whether they had problems in those times, I don’t know. That they broke up later is a different story.” Vickey shared that he had initially gotten a call from a filmmaker who planted the seed of this story but he decided to take matters into his own hands and called Malaika to verify the authenticity of the story.ALSO READ | Dhurandhar 2 Box Office Collection Day 1 LIVE Updates: Ranveer Singh film earns Rs 236 cr worldwide, demolishes Jawan record; day 2 sees Rs 13 cr earning till 12 pmWhen Vickey called Malaika, she confirmed “there is trouble”. “She didn’t deny the story. I told her you are on record. Thankfully, we had recorded it,” he said and added, “We went with the story because she had confirmed it.” But, the next day, his editor told him, that they had been “fooled” as this was all done to promote a brand.Vickey and his bosses then decided to confront Malaika as she was to appear on stage at an event for the same brand. When he reached the venue, the event had already started and Malaika was on stage, surrounded by bouncers who were guarding the stage. “I don’t know what came over me, I just jumped on the stage between the bouncers and made my way through them,” he said and recalled how he confronted Malaika.“Before they could react, I put the tape in front of her face and said, ‘This is the tape where you lied to us. Malaika, why did you lie?’ And she said, ‘Why should I tell you the truth?’ That was the only conversation. Thankfully, the bouncers didn’t do anything because the event was already on,” he said.Story continues below this adAlmost a decade after this, in 2017, Malaika and Arbaaz divorced. They co-parent their son named Arhaan Khan. Arbaaz is now married to Sshura Khan, and they welcomed a daughter in 2025, Sipaara Khan. Malaika has not tied the knot again.While this article discusses past public narratives and celebrity separation, it is based on archival interviews and social media-sourced accounts that have not been independently verified. The views and recollections expressed are those of the individuals involved and are intended for informational entertainment purposes only.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Arbaaz KhanMalaika Arora