'I am not friends with Samay Raina': Kusha Kapila shuts down viral AI photo, says she blocked him after 2024 roast

Actor and influencer Kusha Kapila has dismissed speculation that she has reconciled with comedian Samay Raina, revealing that a viral selfie circulating online was digitally manipulated using AI.

Alongside denying any renewed friendship, Kusha also accused coordinated troll accounts of using the altered image to target her.

Taking to Instagram Stories on Sunday, Kusha reposted the viral image and wrote, "Fake and seeded." Explaining that the picture had been manipulated, she added, "My face is AI altered," referring to the selfie originally clicked by Samay, in which he appears beside a woman in a red top whose face had been edited to resemble hers.

She also addressed social media posts claiming she was attempting to reconnect with Samay following his recent career resurgence. Reacting to the campaign, Kusha wrote, "Why would anyone spend any money doing this is beyond me. The way incel internet will stoop down to minimise me is laughable at this point."

The actor went on to share more screenshots of similar posts, suggesting they followed an identical pattern. "This is not an e-lafda but just how incel internet will get to the pits to minimise women. All this is happening because I take a stand and still will, lol," she wrote. In another Story, she described the online campaign as a "hot pile of garbage'.

Addressing her history with Samay, Kusha acknowledged that the two were once friends before their relationship deteriorated after appearing together on Pretty Good Roast Show, hosted by Ashish Solanki.

"There was no script shared, no contract signed, and no jokes shared beforehand. Everything was done in good faith. I had no idea what was coming my way," maintained Kusha.

Reflecting on the experience, she added, "The jokes made at my expense were horrible, and I stand by my stance that they should have been censored."

Kusha also reshared the statement she had issued in the aftermath of the roast in 2024, reiterating that the remarks made during the show had "dehumanised" her.

"I blocked both Samay and Ashish. It has taken me a lot of time and therapy to undo the shame and ridicule I felt that day. I genuinely wish that roast had never happened to me," she wrote.

Kusha also denied accusations that she celebrated Samay's legal and public troubles earlier this year after controversy surrounding India's Got Latent.

"I didn't celebrate Samay Raina's downfall," she said, adding that there was no evidence to support such claims. "Multiple publications reached out to me, asking me to speak against him, but I chose not to."

Samay landed in controversy after remarks made by guest Ranveer Allahbadia on the first season of India's Got Latent sparked widespread backlash. The incident resulted in multiple FIRs and the show's episodes being removed from YouTube. Samay later returned with his stand-up special Still Alive, while India's Got Latent also made a comeback with a second season.

Kusha made it clear that there has been no reconciliation between the two.

"I am not friends with Samay," she wrote. "I will never, ever, ever be on Latent, nor do I want to be."

She explained that while they had attempted to be cordial after the fallout, they had agreed not to discuss each other publicly.

Responding to a recent viral video showing both of them attending singer Jasleen Royal's birthday celebration, Kusha said their presence at the same event should not be interpreted as a sign of renewed friendship.

"Samay happened to be there as well. That doesn't mean anything. The video may make it look like we hang out, but we don't. We didn't even interact in that clip," she wrote.

Calling for an end to the speculation, Kusha added, "Stop it with your ridiculous seeding. Stop minimising women. You can forget everything, but can't forget just disrespect."

She also said, "I have worked as hard as anybody else to be where I am today. Incel meme pages, seeding companies need to stop disempowering me every chance they get. I will still work hard. I will not let this be my entire life. Please stop it."

In another Story, Kusha shared a zoomed-in version of the viral selfie to show that the woman beside Samay was someone else.

She also reflected on the abuse she says she has faced since speaking out about the roast.

"Over the past two years, post roast and my decision of censoring the jokes, made fun of my personal life, men have come up to me at airports and said laughingly 'jokes bata do yaar, Kusha' as my face went red with shame, and my manager politely asked them to avoid this topic. Padhe likhe boys, bhai."

Ending her statement, Kusha wrote, "I don't need anyone to take a stand for me nor will I run a PR campaign nor will I do any seeding because there is a very real life waiting to be lived. You can't put a timeline to how long will I take to be okay with this. Allow me to take this hurt to my grave please (handshake emoji). Hai ijazat? (Do I have your permission?)."