Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Samantha was in a relationship with actor Siddharth from 2012 until their separation in early 2015. She began dating actor Naga Chaitanya in 2010 after they appeared together in Ye Maaya Chesave. They became engaged in January 2017 and married in Goa in October 2017 through Hindu and Christian ceremonies. The couple announced their separation in October 2021, and their divorce followed.

Samantha married filmmaker Raj Nidimoru on 1 December 2025 at the Linga Bhairavi temple inside the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. She was born to Joseph Prabhu, who is of Telugu descent, and Ninette, who is Malayali. She grew up in Chennai with her brothers Jonathan and David.

Samantha made her lead acting debut in Gautham Vasudev Menon's Telugu romantic film Ye Maaya Chesave in 2010. The film was made simultaneously in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, with Samantha appearing in a cameo in the Tamil version. Her portrayal of Jessie earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, South, and the Nandi Special Jury Award.

Her early Telugu successes included Brindaavanam and Dookudu. In Eega, released in Telugu and as Naan Ee in Tamil, she played a micro artist seeking revenge for the murder of her lover. She then played Nithya in the Tamil and Telugu versions of Gautham Menon's Neethaane En Ponvasantham and Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu. Her performances in Eega and Neethaane En Ponvasantham made her the second actress after Revathi to win Filmfare Best Actress awards in both the Tamil and Telugu categories in the same year.

Samantha continued to appear in commercially successful films including Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Attarintiki Daredi, Kaththi, Theri, Mersal and Rangasthalam. Her performance as Anasuya Ramalingam in A Aa earned her another Filmfare Award for Best Actress, Telugu. She also received critical praise for Manam, Thanga Magan, 24, Mahanati and U Turn.

From 2019, Samantha increasingly took on women-centered and performance-driven roles. She played the lead in the fantasy comedy Oh! Baby, a remake of the South Korean film Miss Granny, and appeared opposite Naga Chaitanya in Majili. In Super Deluxe, she portrayed Vaembu, a woman who cheats on her husband. She later played Janaki Devi in Jaanu, the Telugu remake of '96.

Samantha hosted a special episode of Bigg Boss Telugu 4 in 2020 and presented the talk show Sam Jam on Aha. She made her streaming debut in the second season of Amazon Prime Video's The Family Man, playing Raji, a rebel leader. The role earned her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.

Her subsequent credits include Pushpa: The Rise, in which she performed the dance number "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava", along with Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, Yashoda, Shaakuntalam and Kushi. She played Honey in the action series Citadel: Honey Bunny and later appeared in Subham. Her later projects include the Telugu film Maa Inti Bangaaram and the Hindi series Rakt Brahmand.

Samantha founded the charitable trust Pratyusha Support in 2012 to provide medical assistance for women and children. The organisation has supported children with life-threatening illnesses, promoted haemophilia awareness and worked with Andhra Hospitals on infant medical care and vaccinations. She also participated in relief efforts during the 2015 Chennai floods.

She was appointed ambassador for Telangana Handlooms in 2017 and promoted handwoven textiles from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. She also launched the handloom venture Tweave in partnership with the Telangana government. In 2020, she founded the women's clothing brand Saaki World.

Samantha launched the production company Tralala Moving Pictures in 2025 and made her producing debut with Subham. She has received four Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi Awards and several South Indian International Movie Awards.