After an constant objections against music composer Anu Malik on social media over #MeToo allegations, he announced on Thursday that he has stepped down as the judge from music reality show, Indian Idol 11.
In 2018, singer Sona Mohapatra and other women had named Anu Malik, accusing him of sexual misconduct of which, he was forced to quit Indian Idol 10.
As he returned this year as one of the show’s judges, singers Neha Bhasin and Shweta Pandit joined Sona in accusing him of alleged sexual harassment.
A few days ago, Anu wrote a post on Instagram claiming “false and unverified allegations” were made against him and that he was in pain and in a dark space.
He said he wanted justice. It was followed by Sona gaining huge support on social media as she demanded his removal from the reality show.
Talking about stepping down, music director Anu Malik says, “I have not quit the show. I have taken a three-week break. I want to clear my name and return to the show. If someone is saying things about me again and again on social media, it gets to you. I wrote an Insta post explaining that I am in a dark space. This Twitter campaign has been going on since a while and I was tired of these false, malicious accusations on social media. The best thing is once you clear your name and go back to business, it is good for everyone.”
Malik reveals that Sony TV never asked him “to step down or quit”. “Sony has been so supportive. Last season, I quit and this year, they got me back. They wouldn’t have brought me back if I was not in the clear.” He added saying, If they had any doubts about me, they wouldn’t have approached me at all. This time, I told them that people keep saying things about me so this time, I will come back after clearing my name.