Indian boxing queen MC Mary Kom’s nearly two-decade marriage, which recently ended in divorce, has now become a prime-time smear. In 2025, the six-time world champion confirmed her divorce from her husband Karung Onkholer (Onler), but remained silent about the reasons. However, after months of speculation about the cause of 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 their trust and ultimately their marriage. Now, reacting to Mary’s financial fraud allegations, Onler has responded with accusations of extramarital affairs. Read on to learn more about what went wrong in their marriage and what they accuse each other of:Mary Kom’s accusations against her ex-husband: “He stole my money!”In Aap Ki Adalat, Mary didn’t mince words. He claimed Onler “never made a cent” and lived off boxing earnings. Furthermore, he revealed that after his 2022 injury (just before the Commonwealth Games), he saw his “real face.” She said she caught him red-handed when she withdrew ₹10 lakh from his account without his consent and then lied about it too. He also accused him of transferring his properties and assets worth several crores into his own name without his prior knowledge. This, he said, felt like a betrayal and ultimately affected his marriage.He also said that she didn’t cheat on him, but that her ex cheated on her financially.
Onler’s Backlash: “She Cheated – TWICE!”
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) World championship medalist boxer Gaurav Bidhuri 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 proven in court.
In response to his accusations, Onler has now spoken out. In a recent interview, he alleged that Mary first had an affair in 2013 with a junior boxer, which caused 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 that these incidents slowly eroded their relationship.He told IANS: “Firstly, in 2013, she was having an affair with a junior boxer. Our families had a fight, and after that, we got engaged. And since 2017, she has been having a relationship with someone who works at Mary Kom Boxing Academy. I have her WhatsApp messages as proof. I have proof, with the name of the person she was having an affair with. I remained silent. She wanted to stay alone and have another relationship. We are divorced. I don’t care if she wants to have another husband. But never blame me. And if she is to blame, bring the proof; get the papers. I know where he lives and with whom.”Onler Kom disputes Mary Kom’s accusations of cheating her financiallyHe also responded to Mary’s accusations of financial fraud, calling them false and mere accusations. He shared that even after being married to her for almost 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 appointed president. Reacting to her claims that she took care of her children alone, Onler added that while she was the main earner, he was the one taking care of the children.Onler Kom on leaving his career to take care of his familyIn another interview with Hindustan Times (HT), Onler went on to say that he gave up his career to take care of his family, a decision that Mary had asked him to make for her. “I was preparing for UPSC when we met. I was also a contract football player for the Excise and Customs department in Shillong. She asked me to give up my career and support her. She asked me to raise the children. She was passionate about boxing and I loved her, and I thought her passion was our passion. He was absent for weeks and months. I raised the children. I bathed them, fed them, took them to training and kept the house running!“I was their driver. I was their cook. I did everything. And I did it because it was for our house and our family. I lived like his ointment. But in my opinion, it was all about love and family. Now she is saying these hurtful things. Well, we have obtained the divorce through a customary court, but do not discredit my support. “Don’t say such rude and disrespectful things!” he told HT. A divorce exposes the truth or destroys the heroes. Whoever is right in a divorce, those who are really lost are the children. What is your verdict? What do you think? Was Mary the victim of a gold-digging husband or was Onler betrayed by Mary? Tell us your opinion in the comments section below.
