'Forced sex...hidden cameras': Rippling co-founder's wife responds to husband's allegations
What's the story
Dhivya Sashidhar, wife of tech billionaire and Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar, has leveled multiple allegations against her husband, including infidelity and solicitation of prostitutes. The couple's marital discord surfaced last month when Prasanna publicly accused Dhivya of cheating on him when he was fighting for custody of their son. But Dhivya's version presents a whole different narrative.
Accusations
Dhivya's allegations against Prasanna
Dhivya has alleged that her husband had extramarital sex, would invite prostitutes, and would pressure her into an open marriage. She further accuses him of spying on her through hidden cameras in the house. These allegations are backed by several years of court records, text messages, emails, photographs, and other evidence obtained by The San Francisco Standard.
Personal ordeal
Dhivya's experience of control and manipulation
Describing her ordeal as the "worst nightmare of my life," Dhivya said Prasanna had coerced her and their nine-year-old son into hopping countries to avoid paying taxes. He had forced her into painful sex soon after delivery, arguing it was a primal need for men. When she resisted, he would threaten to get sexual gratification outside marriage.
Email evidence
Prasanna's emails reveal solicitation and request for open marriage
In a December 2019 email, Prasanna confessed to calling up prostitutes and asking for their rates but then finally backed out. He apologized for the strain caused to their marriage and assured he would never put it in such a position again. On the same day, he also asked Dhivya for an open relationship. When asked about this conversation, Prasanna accepted he talked about opening up their marriage, but they decided not to do it.
Tax evasion
Prasanna's attempts to evade taxes and its impact on Dhivya
In 2020, Prasanna moved his family from California to Washington state, allegedly to evade California tax. Dhivya was working remotely at Microsoft then. She testified in court he would coerce her to take time off work for sex and threatened to find other partners if she didn't comply. He later moved their family from the US to Singapore against Dhivya's wishes, allegedly in another attempt to protect his wealth from taxes.
Testimony
Estranged husband's account
In a post on X, Prasanna had claimed his wife was having an affair. He said that they were negotiating the terms of the divorce settlement, which she was unhappy with. Per the terms, Sankar was required to pay his wife around ₹9 crore and ₹4.3 lakh per month and share joint custody of their son. He also claimed that his wife "abducted" their child and brought him to the US, prompting him to file an international child abduction case.