Jayam Ravi and his wife Aarti, once the Tamil industry's most popular celebrity couple, have recently announced their separation after 15 years of marriage. On September 9, Jayam Ravi issued a statement in both Tamil and English, explaining that the decision to end their marriage was made after mutual consideration. He also requested privacy and understanding during this challenging time. Speculation about their split began a few months back when Aarti removed photos of Jayam Ravi from her Instagram, hinting at trouble in their marriage. Here's a look back at their relationship which began before their fairytale wedding in 2009.

Jayam Ravi and Aarti's first meeting: How the couple kept it private

Aarti and Jayam Ravi first met in Scotland, where their love story began. To avoid media attention, they kept their meetings private. The Ponniyin Selvan actor, reportedly, used to sneak out of his house at night to meet Aarti.

Jayam Ravi once mentioned in an interview that he and his lady love often took "detours during their dates, fearing being photographed" as they wanted to keep it private, nor had they informed their parents. Aarti also once revealed that during their dating period, they spent most time together in a car, and eventually, they found themselves constantly taking U-turns.

There are a few reports that also suggest that on their first date, Jayam Ravi arrived in a friend's car. Before their marriage, the Siren actor ensured their relationship stayed out of the public eye.

Tamil star couple Jayam and Aarti got married in 2009

After dating for a few years, Jayam Ravi and Aarti married on June 4, 2009, in a fairytale wedding, surrounded by the love and blessings of their family and friends. 

Since then, they have openly shared their relationship, regularly posting glimpses of their happy family life on social media.

Jayam and Aarti welcome kids into their family

The couple was blessed with their first child in 2010 who they named Aarav. Four years later, in 2014, they welcomed their second son, Ayaan. Aarav appeared in the 2018 film Tik Tik Tik as the on-screen son of Jayam Ravi.

The Comali actor often expressed his love for his now ex-wife on social media, describing her as his "queen" and acknowledging her support as both a friend and wife. Jayam Ravi frequently mentioned Aarti as his first fan and critic, noting her influence on both his strengths and weaknesses in various posts.

Who is Jayam Ravi’s ex-wife Aarti?

Aarti is the eldest daughter of renowned producer Sujatha Vijayakumar, who made hit Tamil series and movies, including Siren and Bhoomi, which featured her son-in-law, Jayam Ravi. Besides being married to a superstar, Aarti is an entrepreneur and social media influencer with a significant following. She has over 722k Instagram followers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Aarti leveraged her social media presence to support small businesses affected by the crisis. She focused particularly on promoting women-centric brands during these challenging times. Additionally, Aarti serves as an ambassador for Rise4Girl, where she helps fund the education of girls who cannot afford it. The recent news of her separation from Jayam Ravi shared on his X account, has left fans in shock.