Singer and voice actor Chinmayi Sripaada has opened up about the relentless online abuse directed at her family, saying that the harassment escalated to the point where her husband, Rahul Ravindran, decided to leave X after users began wishing death upon their children.
In a seven-minute video shared on X, Chinmayi spoke about rape culture, consent, misogyny and the coordinated online harassment she says she has endured for years because of her advocacy for survivors of sexual abuse. Calling justice for survivors of sexual assault "a cause very close to my heart", Chinmayi argued that conversations around abuse cannot happen without addressing rape culture.
"It doesn't start with rape immediately. It starts with sexist jokes, misogynistic jokes, vulgar jokes, memes, getting abused, revenge porn and unsolicited nudes," she said, referring to the "rape culture pyramid" to explain how everyday behaviour normalises violence against women.
She said discussions around consent have often invited more hostility than support. Recalling the backlash after she spoke about practising consent even with children at home, she said social media erupted, adding that she and Rahul have since become "the brunt of a whole lot of abuse", something she now sees as "normal average behaviour here."
Chinmayi also described the gendered abuse she routinely receives online, saying she has been called derogatory names in multiple languages. She mocked comments questioning why Rahul "still suffers" her or why he had not divorced her, saying the remarks reflected deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes.
She further alleged that Rahul, too, became the target of abuse, with trolls calling him names meant to question his masculinity because he supported her. "All that I see is that they're obsessed with Rahul," she said, adding that many of the attacks stemmed from resentment towards men who stand by outspoken women.
According to Chinmayi, the situation took a darker turn after Rahul remarked online that isolated crimes against men should not be equated with systemic gender oppression against women. She said this triggered coordinated harassment, with users targeting not just the couple but also their young children.
Sharing screenshots and audio clips, Chinmayi alleged that some users wished death upon their three-year-old children and even prayed for their funeral. She said Rahul reached his breaking point after seeing a post that called on others to pray for the death of their son. "He decided to delete the app. I'm still here," she said.
Describing such campaigns as an attempt to drive women out of online spaces, Chinmayi said groups of men "come together, bully, harass and abuse" with the sole intention of silencing women. "I'm just not yet ready to be counted in the statistic of women that they successfully kicked out of these social spaces," she added. The singer also dismissed criticism that she should pursue legal action, claiming many of those behind the abuse are influential, financially well-connected or live abroad, making accountability unlikely.
Ending the video on an emotional note, Chinmayi said those who wished harm upon her children deserved none of her sympathy. "If you ever abuse my children, I'm going to wish nothing but horror, a very long life and a horrific life at that," she said, adding, "My prayers are always answered."
The video comes days after Rahul Ravindran announced that he had quit X following sustained online harassment directed at his family, particularly their children.