Lalit Modi calls out 'fake news' claiming he's in Bigg Boss, sends legal notice to take down reports: 'Next time verify'

IPL founder Lalit Modi has slammed reports claiming he is a contestant on Bigg Boss 20, issuing a legal notice against publications carrying the claim.

Published on: Aug 15, 2026, 08:04:44 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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A day after several social media accounts ran ‘confirmation’ of IPL founder and businessman Lalit Modi participating in reality show Bigg Boss’ upcoming season, Modi denied the rumours and called out the ‘fake news’ with a legal notice. The businessman took to social media to clarify that he has not been approached for the show and has no intention of participating in it.

Lalit Modi has slammed reports claiming he is participating in Bigg Boss 20.

Lalit Modi calls out Bigg Boss 20 fake news

The 20th season of Bigg Boss, hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, is set to premiere next month. The list of contestants has not been officially announced yet, but a teaser has hinted at a unique concept. Amid that, a few reports claimed this week that Lalit Modi would be among the contestants this year.

Reacting to this, Lalit Modi wrote on X early on Saturday morning, “FAKE NEWS. PERIOD. I have NOT been approached for Bigg Boss 20. I am NOT participating in Bigg Boss 20. And I have NO intention of doing so. Amazing how a completely fabricated story can become “news” without anyone bothering to ask the person concerned.”

The businessman attached a legal notice from his lawyers, Hirani & Associates, warning the social media accounts and publications that carried the news. “Perhaps next time, verify before you publish,” he added.

Lalit Modi’s legal notice

The notice, from Lalit Modi’s lawyers, addressed the news reports claiming he had been signed for Bigg Boss 20. “Our Client hereby clarifies that the said reports are false, baseless and mischievous. Our Client has not been approached by the producers, broadcasters, channel or any representative of the said Programme; no person has been authorised to represent our Client or to hold out on his behalf in respect thereof; and our Client has not consented to, and has no intention of, participating in or being associated with the said Programme in any manner whatsoever,” it clarified.

The notice added that Modi had not confirmed to any publication that he was participating in Bigg Boss 20: “The said reports have been published without any verification from our Client and without any authority whatsoever. The name, image, photograph, likeness, voice and other attributes of personality of our Client vest exclusively in him, and no person is entitled to use the same, or to suggest, imply or represent any association or engagement between our Client and the said Programme.

It further urged the media houses to take down the false reports and not repeat any such article without confirming with Modi. “The press, media houses, digital platforms and members of the public at large are requested to take note of this clarification, to refrain from publishing, circulating, repeating or reproducing any such reports, and to recall, withdraw or take down any such content already published,” it further read.

About Bigg Boss 20

Earlier this week, the first trailer for Bigg Boss 20 saw host Salman Khan reveal a new twist: an extra ‘jeevan daan’ (lifeline) for the contestants. Bigg Boss Season 20 premieres on September 6, on JioHotstar and Colors. Some of the names rumoured to participate in this season include Nia Sharma, Arjun Bijlani, Karan Patel and Jannat Zubair.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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