Immediately after Sorisha Naidoo emerged victorious with the crown as Miss India South Africa in 2015, the lady’s social status elevated as she began to mingle with those in higher society. She soon launched a relationship with South African-born Indian billionaire, Vivian Reddy. When the duo became an item and started appearing together in public places, their dalliance elicited enough controversies as people couldn’t help but notice the generational age gap between them.
People wasted no time in pointing out what they described as unconventional. There was, however, not much uproar because many believed the relationship was more a fling and would not wind up to be anything more than that. This all changed when the duo decided to pledge the forever commitment to each other. Sorisha Naidoo was tagged a shameless gold digger who had no qualms dating a man that was way older than she is. At first, the beauty queen said she was deeply affected by the comments, but she learned to put it behind her and forge ahead with her life.
There Is A 24 Year Age Gap Between Sorisha Naidoo and Vivian Reddy
Although Vivian Reddy’s real date of birth has never been made public, the South African Indian billionaire is said to be between 67 and 68 years of age, in 2021. Comparing his age to that of his wife, Sorisha Naidoo, who was born on the 24th of October 1976, making her 47 years old, there is a huge age difference between them.
However, from what is obvious, the couple doesn’t seem bothered about their gaping age difference. They have been married for several years now and going by what is perceivable, Sorisha Naidoo and Vivian Reddy are doing wonderfully well together. They have been spotted in public together on numerous occasions and are both doing well in their respective careers.
Vivian Reddy Is A Business Tycoon
Born in Durban, South Africa, Vivian Reddy is the son of an Indian teacher who struggled to raise nine children. Despite his humble beginnings, he overcame all his early financial difficulties to become the founder and CEO of the advisory and investment research company known as Edison Group. Reddy has since made billions from his company’s interests in energy, casinos, healthcare, financial services, and property development.
The Couple Met At The Opening Bash Of A Casino
As already mentioned, Sorisha Naidoo landed on the path to both fame and fortune after she emerged winner of the Miss India South Africa Beauty Pageant. Needless to say, the crown launched the SA native into a whole new world. Soon, she started working with Southern Sun’s public relations department and scored a DJ role at East Coast Radio, working on the station’s graveyard shift. The SA beauty later became Alan Khan’s co-host on The Breakfast Show before Sugarmill Casino employed her services as their public relations officer.
With all these high placed job positions coming her way, the beauty queen’s level was obviously elevated and it goes without saying that she started hobnobbing with high-class society members. It was at this point in her life that Sorisha Naidoo’s path crossed with Vivian Reddy. Though we were not intimated with exactly when they first met, reports said that it happened at the opening party of a casino. Before long, Reddy started bombarding Sorisha with phone calls while on duty at the East Coast Radio just to ask her out to breakfast.
Naidoo First Rejected Reddy’s Proposition
According to Naidoo, Reddy’s reputation went before him and she already had a preconceived notion of his character, labeling the billionaire as arrogant and annoying. Because of this, the ex-beauty queen was completely uninterested in having anything to do with the businessman, and knowing the nature of men, her blunt refusal only activated the hunter instinct in Reddy who persisted with his proposition until she finally consented to go out with him on a coffee date.
Given a chance with Sorisha Naidoo, Vivian Reddy proceeded to woo her over that first coffee date, and before long, she started seeing him in a new light. According to her, most of their early relationship was conducted via phone as they didn’t see much of each other but made up for it with daily two-hour phone calls. Their conversation was mostly centered on business, aspirations, and philosophy. Naidoo said Reddy was so refreshing that he challenged and fed her mind.
After she started seeing a different side to the billionaire, Sorisha began to admire him, besides, the fact that he dared to pay her attention when other guys didn’t deem her fit for a date elevated Reddy in her eyes. After they had been friends for about one year, the SA beauty who had accepted an offer that saw her take a job at Highveld Stereo as she was starring in the popular television soapie, Scandal, was informed by the billionaire that his marriage had come to an end.
Sorisha Naidoo and Vivian Reddy Later Tied The Knot Amidst Harsh Criticisms
Sorisha Naidoo, who said she had been single for more than 12 months as at that time, didn’t see any harm in giving Reddy a chance to be part of her life. In him, she saw humility and a man who understood all her life goals and pumps her with loads and loads of inspiration.
However, fans never allowed the duo to enjoy their relationship as they wasted no time in letting the world know their opinion about the dalliance. Even as Naidoo said she wasn’t bothered about their 24-year age gap, fans soon told her that they were bothered on her behalf and another aspect of it that was even more irking was the fact that Reddy is a billionaire. Things soon turned ugly as the tabloids started churning out screaming headlines about their love affair. Naidoo even revealed how the level of criticism made her sit back and question whether she was even doing the right thing by dating Reddy.
It was really a stressful period for the duo who sat down to discuss the issue and recommend a way forward. At the end of their discussion, Sorisha Naidoo and Vivian Reddy took the decision to shut the harsh criticism out and focus on each other. A few years down the line, wedding bells jingled for the two as they tied the matrimonial knot. The details of their wedding were never brought to the public arena; thus, no one knows the date, venue, and level of attendance.
Life After Marriage Seems To Be Blissful For Sorisha Naidoo and Her Husband
The couple seems to have proved the trolls wrong as they have lived together as man and wife for several years now. Going by what is perceivable, their marital life is all shades of blissful as they appear to be enjoying life. This conclusion is drawn from the way they shower each other with expensive gifts.
First, it was Sorisha bearing the gift of a R300,000 wristwatch for Reddy on his birthday. Then, her husband reciprocated with a R4.8 million Aston Martin DB11 which he presented to her while they celebrated her 40th birthday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Umhlanga, Durban. The black twin-turbo v12 engine car was the very first of its kind to touch South African soil and knowing people, they couldn’t resist ogling.
In his speech, the billionaire who was obviously proud of his wife revealed how unfailingly committed Naidoo is to his family’s wellness. Eulogizing the ex-beauty queen, Reddy narrated how she would wake up at the wee hours of the morning just to prepare the kids for school and ensure that they have all they needed for the day. He also sang her praises for making out time to take care of the home front even with her busy business schedule.
Again, the fact that Sorisha Naidoo has only ever been married once in her life is a testament to how seriously, the former beauty queen takes the commitment of marriage. From what is obvious, Reddy may well be her first and last marriage as the SA beauty looks well settled in and ready for the most elusive happily ever after. Besides, her husband has always been vocal about his love for his significant other. Though, even with all these, only time will tell how long they will eventually last.
Naidoo Shares Two Children With Her Husband
Going by available reports, life in the Reddy family became tranquil after Vivian tied the knot with ex-Scandal actress, Sorisha Naidoo. Their love was further cemented with the arrival of their first child – a cute baby boy named Saihil. Before long, Saihil became a brother to Kalina, a beautiful baby girl that joined the family a few years later.
Naidoo, who is a hands-on mum, has been described as genuinely attentive to the needs of her family. According to the former actress, they had to relocate to Durban from Joburg just so their kids can enjoy a closer relationship with their grandparents.
With that said, we must note the fact that Naidoo is not Reddy’s first wife. The SA-born billionaire was married before and had three children with his first wife. There is Yavini who is a practicing pediatrician, Shantan, and Kuber. Reddy’s first set of children are obviously all grown up and are already charting their own course in life; thus, their relationship with Naidoo may not be so close. Besides, it has never been discussed.
Sorisha Naidoo Was Accused Of Husband Snatching Among Other Things
The criticisms that Sorisha Naidoo faced for dating a billionaire 24 years older than her was nothing compared to the backlash that followed her nuptials with Vivian Reddy. Yes, the tabloids were already having a field day with her love story but going on to exchange marriage vows with the man threw them into a wild frenzy. The papers were flooded with one screaming headline after another, all pointing to her new state as Mrs. Reddy which they perceived as a complete mismatch.
Soon, the tag, shameless gold digger was used to describe the Scandal actress. Another sect of trolls who considered themselves as insiders came up with a completely different version of the tale, claiming that Reddy was enjoying his marriage with his loyal wife when Naidoo surfaced from nowhere and snatched the man from her.
There were yet others who just felt they needed to cast aspersions of any kind on Naidoo, accusing the billionaire’s wife of “buying” Facebook friends who serve as her praise singers. Some talked about her weight while others went on to dig up the fact that she bleached her skin.
The Former Beauty Queen’s Response To Being Called A Gold-Digger
Responding to claims that she was a shameless gold digger, Sorisha Naidoo said she later welcomed it, even though it used to haunt her at the onset. Now, the actress said she doesn’t care anymore knowing that her real character is far from that. Even as the wife of a billionaire, Naidoo said she never stopped working for one day and has been earning quite a tidy sum without any external help. To further buttress her point, the ex-beauty queen told a tale of spoiling her husband with a plush wristwatch worth a whopping R300,000 on his birthday and it was all funded from her own pocket.
According to Naidoo, it would have been easy for her to live the life of a housewife since her husband has so much, but that is far from the type of life she envisaged for herself. Even after she left Scandal to have her daughter, the actress could easily have returned after giving birth but she chose to try her hands at business instead.
On her husband, the former beauty queen revealed that they would still be together even if he was a poor man. The money she said, is circumstantial as long as Reddy could still feed her soul. Naidoo also narrated how the demands of their individual businesses make them only see each other three times a week or thereabouts in Joburg or Durban but their union has endured all.
Describing the woman she has become, Sorisha Naidoo said she has not changed much from the girl who used to work behind the till of Shallcross and is capable of going back there tomorrow. She expressed happiness that those who matter in her life know her for who she is and she was done with worrying about the slurs the media and the public choose to cast on her.
Giving Reddy kudus, Naidoo described her spouse as one person that has always found her beautiful and this is instrumental to their enduring relationship. In conclusion, the SA beauty made it known that if their marriage was to come to an end today, her business endeavors will be able to sustain her lifestyle and she would never need to adjust.
Sorisha Naidoo Is Actually The Opposite Of Her Perceived Public Image
Those who know Sorisha Naidoo personally have attested to the fact that she is far removed from what the public thinks she is. According to a reporter who paid the actress and businesswoman a visit at her Umhlanga pad, Naidoo seems to emit vibes of pretentiousness and materialism to the outside world but meeting her one on one revealed a completely different personality.
Yes, the reports agreed to her being mightily ambitious which is natural among hard-working people, but you don’t need to do much digging to unearth an eminently likable personality, even with her social climber image.
What’s more, the former beauty queen is totally candid about all the unpalatable stuff she has had to contend with. Speaking about her bleached skin, the Scandal actress said she regrets the day she decided to change the color of her skin, confessing that she was driven into skin lightening after receiving the Miss India South Africa crown.
Speaking about her billionaire spouse, Sorisha Naidoo said she doesn’t even know how much his net worth is neither does she know how much of his fortune will come to her. The reason is that Sorisha has never asked and has no plans of asking. Throwing more light on the issue, the South African native said she has not even bothered to find out if she earned a mention in his will.
Sorisha narrated a story about when she launched her cosmetics business and erroneously assumed she would get some financial support from her husband. However, contrary to her expectations, Reddy advised the mother of two to stand on her own two feet and strive for financial independence and self-sufficiency. He merely encouraged her to build a good credit record with the financial institutions and she has remained grateful for that piece of advice. Even if Reddy decides to go with another woman tomorrow, Naidoo is capable and ready to be her own woman.
Her Work on The Real Housewives of Durban
Before becoming part of the six housemates of the Real Housewives of Durban, Naidoo pledged to open up about her family and she made good on her promise. The reality show actually opened with a tour of Naidoo and Reddy’s luxurious mansion where she invited her cast members to celebrate Diwali. Fans were treated to a bird’s-eye view of her home as the camera led by the ex-beauty queen toured around the house. We got to see the members of her family, including her pugs.
When quizzed about her love life, the former beauty queen chronicled how she met her husband at the opening ceremony of a casino and also narrated how they didn’t connect instantly.
