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New Delhi: TV actress Shivangi Joshi has opened up about being sexually molested as a child by a man she considered her uncle. She made the big revelation on the ongoing reality show, Lock Upp 2.

The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actress recalled that the man was her mother’s trusted brother, whom she called Mama Ji.

Shivangi Joshi claimed that the man took advantage of her family’s trust and opened up about how the incident left a negative impact on her childhood, leaving her so scarred that she couldn’t leave the house or attend school for a long time.

She said on Lock Upp 2, “I was molested when I was a child. He was my mother’s close family friend, whom we called Mama ji, and he was a very respected man. At that time, I was planning to go to Mumbai because I wanted to become an actor, and he took advantage of that situation. Since he was like a brother to my mother, she trusted him. At first, I did not understand what was happening when he told me that if I wanted to go to Mumbai and become an actor, I needed to learn how to drive a car used for acting.”

She added, “He asked me to sit on his lap in the front seat, hold the steering wheel and learn how to drive. I followed his command without understanding what was happening. After some time, I still did not know what his intention was. I did not feel comfortable. So, after a few days, I told him that I did not want to learn how to drive.”

Shivangi further recalled the night she was home alone before leaving for Mumbai.

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“My parents had gone out, and he came home at night. He told me that if I wanted to become an actor in Mumbai, I would have to do different kinds of scenes and should be prepared. He kissed my forehead and cheeks, and when he tried to kiss me on my lips, I pushed him away. I accidentally hit him, and he got angry and threw me to the floor.”

Fortunately, nothing happened as her parents returned home and hearing her screams, they rushed inside. After learning what happened, they beat the man and threw him out of the house. However, the incident left her traumatised.

Shivangi Joshi’s mother reacted to her emotional revelation on the show and urged parents to have open conversations with their children about safe and unsafe touch. She wrote in the Instagram caption, “Talk to your children. Teach them, early, the difference between a touch that is okay and one that is not. And when they try to tell you something, even without the right words, listen. Believe them.”

She added, “What my daughter went through should never happen to any child. If our story protects even one, it was worth telling. Keep them close, keep them heard.”

Meanwhile, Shreya Kalra and Ram Kapoor also narrated similar incidents inside the show where they were molested at a young age, leaving a deep scar in their lives.