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Mary D’Costa gets rape threats amid Smriti Mandhana–Palash Muchhal wedding controversy
Mary D'Costa recently clarified that the screenshots of her chats which have gone viral are from April, and that she has never met Palak Muchhal.
Mary D'Costa, the woman at the centre of social-media speculation over the postponement of cricketer Smriti Mandhana and composer Palash Muchhal’s wedding, has alleged that she is facing a wave of online harassment, including rape threats and abusive messages from anonymous Instagram accounts.
D'Costa recently clarified that the screenshots of her chats which have gone viral are from April, and that she has never met Muchhal. She also claimed that she is not the reason why the couple's wedding was postponed.
In her Instagram stories on Thursday, D'Costa also shared multiple screenshots of threatening and hateful messages she has received over the past 24 hours. The messages include violent threats, racial slurs, and misogynistic abuse. Several users accused her of seeking attention and blamed her for the disruption of the high-profile wedding festivities.
One user wrote that they “felt like hitting her with stones,” while another sent a series of violent threats and targeted hate speech.
Several others used demeaning language and slurs while attacking her appearance and character. D’Costa shared the screenshots on Instagram, writing that she had “no words” for the level of hostility directed at her.
What triggered the backlash at Mary D'Costa?
The internet has been rife with rumours ever since Smriti Mandhana and Palash Muchhal’s wedding was put on hold last weekend. Mandhana stated that they were postponing the wedding as her father's health had deteriorated.
But several unverified theories soon began circulating on Reddit. Among those, one had alleged screenshots of chats between D'Costa and Palash.
The chats spread widely on social media, prompting many to speculate about their role in the sudden halt of the wedding ceremonies.
D'Costa's clarification
In a detailed Instagram post, D'Costa clarified that she had never met Palash Muchhal, and that their conversations lasted only between April 29 and May 30, 2025.
“First, the exchange of chats happened between April 29th and May 30th 2025, so the contact lasted for only one month. I want to make it absolutely clear that I never met him and I never got involved with him in any way,” she wrote.
Addressing why she spoke now, she said she had already shared the chats in July, but they went unnoticed at the time.
She also denied speculation that she was the choreographer for the wedding or that she had any professional link to the festivities.
“I am not the choreographer, and I am not the person he cheated with,” she wrote, adding that people were mixing her up with someone else.
Wedding postponed amid health scare
Smriti Mandhana and Palash Muchhal were scheduled to marry on November 23 in Sangli, Maharashtra.
The sangeet and haldi ceremonies were completed on Friday and Saturday, with friends, family, and members of the Indian women's cricket team in attendance.
However, the wedding was postponed on Sunday after Smriti’s father’s health deteriorated and he was hospitalised. Later that evening, Palash was also admitted to a Mumbai hospital due to exhaustion and stress.
Adding to the speculation, Smriti removed all photos and videos from her engagement and pre-wedding ceremonies from Instagram. Teammates who had posted videos also took them down.
Family members urge calm
Palash Muchhal’s cousin, Neeti Tak, addressed the rumours on social media, asking people not to judge him amidst the ongoing speculation.
“Technology today has come much ahead of humans, that is why people should not judge Palash in the face of rumours… pray for him,” she said.
Neither Smriti nor Palash has issued any direct statement on the postponement. Smriti’s father remains under observation in a Sangli hospital.
