The divorce proceedings between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) and former Tamil actor C Joseph Vijay and his wife Sangeetha Sornalingam came to a halt on Friday after the latter withdrew her divorce petition filed before a family court in Chengalpattu earlier this year, sources said. 

Sangeetha appeared before the court by means of video conferencing and submitted her reasons for seeking withdrawal of the petition. After she submitted her decision, the court closed the proceedings, bringing an end to the marital dispute case which had seen multiple adjournments over the past few months.

Sangeetha filed divorce petition in Feb 2026

Notably, in February 2026, Sangeetha had filed the divorce petition, seeking dissolution of her marriage with the Tamil film industry’s Thalapathy. In her plea, she cited irreconcilable differences between her and Vijay, and had also sought permanent alimony along with permission to continue residing at their matrimonial home in Chennai’s Neelankarai. 

Several hearings ended in adjournments

The case had repeatedly been deferred due to the absence of both Vijay and Sangeetha during earlier hearings. Their respective lawyers had appeared before the court, informing it that the couple faced difficulties in attending divorce proceedings personally.

On June 15, 2026, the hearing was adjourned after Sangeetha indicated her intention to withdraw the divorce petition. She had appeared in the hearing through video conferencing and conveyed her decision to the court. 

Subsequently, the court listed the matter for next hearing on August 7, 2026. Last month, the family court again deferred the proceedings after neither Vijay nor Sangeetha turned up in person. The latest order following Sangeetha’s withdrawal has now brought an end to the case. 

Vijay-Sangeetha share 3-decade-old relationship

Vijay and Sangeetha have been married for nearly three decades. The couple got hitched on August 25, 1999, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Chennai despite hailing from different faith backgrounds. They have two children; a son, born in 2000 and a daughter, born in 2005. 

Speculation about differences between the actor-politician and his wife began drawing eyeballs in 2023 after she was absent from major public events involving Vijay. Although reports of marital discord were denied back then, speculation resurfaced in 2025 when she remained absent from key political programmes organised by Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), including the party’s second state conference.