India’s boxing queen MC Mary Kom’s nearly two-decades-long marriage, which recently ended in divorce, has now turned into prime-time mudslinging. In 2025, the six-time world champion confirmed her divorce from her husband Karung Onkholer (Onler), but she remained silent about the reasons. However, after months of speculation about what caused the split, Mary Kom has now revealed her side of the story in recent interviews. Speaking to Rajat Sharma on the show Aap Ki Adalat, Mary Kom accused her ex-husband of financial fraud, saying it broke her trust and ultimately their marriage. Now, reacting to Mary’s allegations of financial cheating, Onler has fired back with allegations of extramarital affairs. Read on to know more about what went wrong in their marriage and what the two are accusing each other of:Mary Kom’s allegations against her ex-husband: “He stole my money!”On Aap Ki Adalat, Mary did not pull her punches. She claimed that Onler “never earned a penny” and lived off her earnings from boxing. She further revealed that after her 2022 injury (right before the Commonwealth Games), she saw his “real face.” She said she caught him red-handed when he withdrew ₹10 lakh from her account without her consent and later lied about it as well. She also accused him of transferring her properties and assets worth several crores into his own name without her prior knowledge. These, she said, felt like betrayals and ultimately took a toll on their marriage.She also said that she dd not cheat him, instead her ex cheated her financially.
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Onler’s counterpunch: “She cheated – TWICE!”
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) World championship medallist boxer Gaurav Bidhuri has called for restraint and due process amid the public fallout between boxing legend Mary Kom and her husband, saying the truth cannot be established through media statements alone and should instead be tested in court.
Reacting to her allegations, Onler has now spoken up. In a recent interview, he alleged that Mary first had an affair in 2013 with a junior boxer, which led to a major rift between them at the time. The couple later reconciled for the sake of their family. But in 2017, Onler further alleged that Mary had another affair with someone from her academy, the Mary Kom Boxing Academy. He claimed these incidents slowly eroded their relationship.He said to IANS, “Firstly, in 2013, she was having an affair with a junior boxer. Our families had a fight, and after that, we compromised. And since 2017, she’s been having a relationship with someone working at the Mary Kom Boxing Academy. I have their WhatsApp messages as proof. I have proof, with the name of the person with whom she was having an affair. I remained silent. She wanted to stay alone and have another relationship. We’re divorced. I don’t mind if she wants to have another husband. But don’t ever blame me. And if she’s to blame me, bring the proof; get the papers. I know where she lives and with whom.”He also responded to Mary’s allegations of financial fraud, calling them false and mere accusations. He shared that even after being married to her for nearly two decades, he lives in a rented house in Delhi. He said that although he helped Mary start and register the boxing academy, someone else was made its chairman. Reacting to her claims that she alone took care of their children, Onler added that while she was the primary earner, he was the one taking care of the kids.In another interview with Hindustan Times (HT), Onler went on to say that he gave up his career to look after their family– a decision that Mary had asked him to take for her. “I was preparing for UPSC when we met. I was also a contract football player for Shillong’s Excise and Customs department. She requested me to give up my career and support her. She asked me to raise the kids. She was passionate about boxing and I loved her, and I thought her passion was our passion. She was away for weeks and months. I raised the kids. I bathed them, fed them, took them to coaching and kept the house running!”I was her driver. I was her cook. I did everything. And I did that because it was for our house and family. I lived like her salve. But in my eyes, it was all for love and family. Now, she is saying these hurtful things. Fine, we have obtained a divorce through customary court, but don’t discredit my support. Don’t say such rude and disrespectful things!,” he told HT. A divorce either exposes truth or destroys heroes. What is your verdict? What do you think— was Mary a victim of a gold-digger husband, or was Onler betrayed by Mary? Tell us your views in the comment section below.