Those who believe I married Aamir Liaquat for money and fame have no knowledge of me: Tuba Anwar

 The actor discussed the trolling and animosity she experienced after her union with the late televangelist was made public.

Syeda Tuba Anwar, former wife of the late televangelist Aamir Liaquat Hussain, recently discussed her journey from behind the camera to the spotlight after their marriage. She shared the difficult experience of facing death and rape threats, as well as being labeled a golddigger and blamed for her ex-spouse’s death. In an interview with The Kult, Anwar revealed her shock at her relationship becoming a national news story.

“I didn’t know how to process it all,” she said. “I was young and naive, without the right kind of exposure. I wasn’t prepared for the chaos. We wanted to announce the news, but it was leaked before we had the chance.” She added that it should be the couple’s decision to determine when to share the news, not someone else’s.

Anwar’s marriage with Liaquat caused a stir on social media, with people accusing her of using the scholar to become famous. When asked why she didn’t give any clarifications and remained silent, she replied that it was too overwhelming and she couldn’t process it.

“When it all began, I was stunned and couldn’t understand why people were hating me so much. The insults and threats I was receiving were too much to handle. It got worse to the point that I was even getting death and rape threats. Everyone, men and women, were picking apart anything and everything,” she said, adding that the harassment wasn’t only limited to the online world, but also in real life from people she was associated with.

Anwar, who was taken aback by the amount of hate she encountered, suggested not to dwell on it, but to use it as an opportunity to prove those who have wrongfully judged her wrong. “I have worked hard to become who I am today and I’m not going to let others dictate who I should be,” she declared.

Coming from a supportive, educated and stable family of intellectuals, I have no need for anyone to use me as a ladder. It is an insult to insinuate such a thing. Even if I was not capable or talented enough, that would be a completely different matter.

I was fortunate enough to travel the world with my father, and I have four sisters who are all doing well.My upbringing was never lacking money or love, and I have never taken anything from my father when leaving. Any YouTube videos that suggest otherwise are just click-bait.

The Bharaas actor, who recently opened up about her experience of facing hate online, spoke about her initial reluctance to address the issue. She explained that a contributing factor to her silence was due to the personal struggles she was facing off-screen. “For six months I just told people, ‘I don’t care but I am human. It does hurt.’ There are pressures of balancing our life, our homes, our families, our fans, our friends, and yet dealing with hate,” she said.Anwar further noted that such negativity is not unique to her and that it is a widespread issue. “All celebrities face it. I don’t know why is that the culture, but go and look at any celebrity’s picture, whether male or female, and there will be hate,” she remarked.

Concluding the topic of her wedding, Anwar said, “I chose the person in that time because my dignity was important to me. I didn’t want to settle for money or just for TV. When you share food and life with someone, you have to keep their respect intact. I never wanted to be consumed with hate for anyone.”

Reflecting on the stigma attached to divorce, Anwar admitted it was the most difficult decision she ever had to make. “When I look back, I was very weak mentally. I was so attached to the person that the pain of separation was immense. It was never easy,” she concluded.