In an unexpected turn of events, Samantha officially announced her separation from her husband and actor Naga Chaitanya on Saturday (October 2) and the entire social media has been abuzz about it since then. Requesting the fans and well-wishers to respect the duo's privacy, Samantha wrote in her official statement, "To all our well wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support".

After this announcement came from Samantha, the actress' father-in-law and ace actor Nagarjuna Akkineni issued an official statement on this issue. While calling this incident to be unfortunate, Nagarjuna mentioned that his family will definitely cherish the moments that they spent with Samantha. Nagarjuna's official statement on Chay - Sam separation read, "With a heavy heart let me say this! What ever happened between Sam and Chay is very unfortunate. What happens between a wife and husband is very personal. Sam and Chay both are dear to me, my family will always cherish the moments spent with sam and she will always be dear to us! May God bless them both with strength".

On the professional front, Samantha will next be seen playing one of the female leads in the Tamil romantic comedy, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, featuring Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara as the other leads. Samantha also has Shakuntalam in which she plays the titular character. On the other hand, Naga Chaitanya is riding high on the box office success of his latest release, Love Story, co-starring Sai Pallavi. For now, check out the official statement of Nagarjuna Akkineni on the Chay - Sam separation here: