Bollywood Star Shilpa Shetty Obscenity Charges Cleared 14 Years After Richard Gere Kissed Her

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has been cleared in an obscenity case 14 years after Richard Gere kissed her at an AIDS awareness event in Rajasthan in 2007 which caused outrage across India.

Shetty had been accused of failing to resist Gere when he kissed her hand, hugged her and repeatedly kissed her on the cheek. Gere apologized and stated that he had done this to show that kissing could not spread AIDS.

Charges against Gere were dropped afterward, however, Shetty’s still remained in India’s justice system.

The 46-year-old star claimed that the incident had been overblown and blamed the protests on India’s “lunatic fringe.”

After three court cases, Shetty’s charges have now been dismissed after Magistrate Ketki Chavan ruled she had been the “victim of the alleged act.”

Shetty is probably best known outside of India for appearing on the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother in 2007 where she was bullied by racist contestants. She has also recently been in the news after her husband, Raj Kundra, was arrested last year for pornography charges.

Article by Raquel O'Donnell

Raquel O'Donnell is a senior at Liberty University, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Digital Media with a Concentration in Writing as well as a minor in Cinematic Arts. She has put together various short stories, short films, and interviews for her classes and has completed the Disney College Program in Spring 2020. Raquel is also a current intern for uInterview, self-publisher for The Series Regulars, as well as a writer for Cape & Castle.