Gaurav Taneja's wife Ritu Rathee says she has quit social media, calls out ‘fake' world of influencers: ‘The burden became too much to handle'

Indian Express

4 days ago

Influencer couple Gaurav Taneja and Ritu Rathee, who have millions of followers on Instagram between the two of them, spoke about her decision to quit social media. She said that social media was never a priority for her, and that she doesn't miss it at all. She also doesn't mind losing out on potential brand deals, and said that she finds the world of influencers 'fake' and full of 'lies'. Gaurav, who's more popularly known as Flying Beast online, said that not every influencer is a cheat, and that some are actually honest.
In his new vlog, he asked Ritu if she has actually quit social media or if she has taken a sabbatical. She said that she hasn't even opened her Instagram account in a year, and doesn't miss it at all. 'It's one thing that you're earning a living on social media, but if you look closely, your life won't be incomplete without it. I don't miss it at all.' Asked if she worries about the money she's losing out on, she said, 'Not at all.'
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Ritu had 1.5 million followers on Instagram when she quit. 'It wasn't a career for me. It was a hobby. Yes, at times I would do shoots and brand posts, but for me, that wasn't the priority.' When Gaurav asked if she'd ever return to social media, Ritu replied, 'No, why would I return to such a fake world, filled with lies? I'm not saying that you're a liar, but all of this just doesn't interest me anymore.'
Ritu said that the 'burden' simply became too much to handle. A commercial pilot by profession, she said, 'Now, I live the way I want to for my children and for you.' Ritu's fans left supportive comments under the video. 'Ritu didi bhot zyada sensible or nek dil hai… aise bhot kam log hote hai jo aise level ki socialmedia reach hone ke baad bhi sab chor ke simple jiwan jiye.' Another person commented, 'After entering into spirituality there is a huge change in an individual.' A third person wrote, 'Let her live.'
Around the time when Ritu took a backseat from social media, rumours of her and Gaurav going through a rough patch in their marriage also began doing the rounds online. A video showed Ritu at a godman's ashram, talking about being betrayed by her husband. She later put out a video in which she emotionally spoke about the speculation, but didn't confess or deny them. During this time, she had also stopped appearing in Gaurav's vlogs.