‘Forced sex, surveillance, threats’: Rippling co-founder's wife alleges abuse in divorce battle

The couple began divorce proceedings after their relationship deteriorated.

Weeks after Indian tech entrepreneur and Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar publicly accused his estranged wife Dhivya Sashidhar of harassment and kidnapping their son, she has responded with a series of explosive allegations. In an interview with The San Francisco Standard, Sashidhar detailed claims of sexual coercion, voyeurism, physical abuse, financial manipulation, and attempts to evade tax by relocating countries.

Sankar, who co-founded the HR-tech firm Rippling and is estimated to be worth $1.3 billion, had earlier posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was "on the run" from Chennai Police. He alleged the authorities were tracking his phone, vehicle, and IP address without an FIR, following a complaint from Sashidhar accusing him of kidnapping their child.

While Sankar accused Sashidhar of an extramarital affair and violating a custody agreement, she has countered with detailed allegations, supported, she said, by court documents, emails, and photographs.

Sashidhar alleged that Sankar repeatedly coerced her into painful sex, including during her recovery from childbirth in 2016. “Prasanna would come and tell me, ‘Look, sex is a primal need for me. You have to do it. It doesn’t matter how much pain you’re in.’ He would literally tell me, ‘If you don’t do it, then I want to go outside and get it,’” she said.

She claimed Sankar pressured her into accepting an open marriage and admitted to contacting escorts. In an email dated December 2019, reviewed by The San Francisco Standard, Sankar confessed to reaching out to several sex workers for photos and rates but claimed he ultimately backed out. On the same day, he also proposed the idea of an open marriage in another email.

Sankar responded to the allegations by stating: “My marriage was sexless at the time I proposed open marriage. I had several conversations with her to understand why this was the case. I once in a moment of anger discussed about opening up the marriage to other sexual partners. We agreed not to do it.”

Sashidhar claimed that Sankar installed hidden cameras in their Singapore home, including in their child’s bathroom, without her knowledge. She described it as a method of control, part of a broader pattern of abusive behaviour.

She also alleged that Sankar physically assaulted her, including punching her in the chest, and frequently used his wealth and influence to intimidate her. She said he restricted her access to finances and bank accounts.

Sashidhar further alleged that Sankar moved their family from California to Washington and later to Singapore to avoid paying income tax and capital gains. She said the 2020 move to Washington was prompted by Sankar's belief that his shares in Rippling would soon vest, making it financially beneficial to be outside of California.

She also said he changed his US visa status to avoid paying the exit tax on unrealised capital gains. According to her testimony, Sankar wanted to move assets held in his brother’s name out of the US without attracting the attention of tax authorities.

After relocating to Singapore, Sashidhar said she lost her job and could not work again because she was on a dependent visa.

Sashidhar alleged that Sankar encouraged her to sleep with his friends and that her refusal led to a turning point in their relationship. “That was where our marriage broke,” she said.

She claimed that Sankar became part of a “high-society hedonist” circle and engaged in “frivolous sexual behaviour with many partners and sex workers.”

Despite his reputation in Silicon Valley as a brilliant engineer, Sashidhar said Sankar was emotionally distant and neglectful at home. “He would come back home, and he would sit with his laptop... we had a restricted, small amount of time,” she said. Yet, she alleged, he always made time for sex.

The couple met in 2007 and began dating in 2009, while both were pursuing higher studies — Sashidhar at the University of Cambridge and Sankar in Silicon Valley. After a period of long-distance, they reunited and married in 2013.

In 2015, Sankar returned to San Francisco as Director of Engineering at a healthcare startup. He quit in 2017 amid an SEC investigation into the company. That same year, he co-founded Rippling, a company now valued in the billions.

The couple began divorce proceedings after their relationship deteriorated. According to Sankar, Sashidhar took their son to the US without his consent. He filed an international child abduction case and won, leading to a settlement requiring him to pay Rs 9 crore upfront and Rs 4.3 lakh monthly in child support. They also agreed on joint custody.

Sankar later alleged that Sashidhar violated the agreement by not depositing their son’s passport in a shared locker. In response, he fled with his son, citing fears of arrest after she filed a police complaint in India.

He claimed the police continued searching for him despite proof that their son was “safe and happy.”

After The San Francisco Standard published the article, Sankar called it a “hit piece” and alleged the outlet ignored his responses. “If it gets big, I’ll respond fully on X,” he wrote.

He questioned the timing of the allegations, asking, “Where were all these allegations when we were dating for seven years and married for another 10? Pure defamation with zero evidence.”

He also dismissed the publication’s reference to court records, saying the article was based on “lies she made to the court taken out and summarised.”

Sashidhar said she fled India and returned to the US, citing domestic violence and fears for her safety. She obtained an emergency US passport and a restraining order. In response to Sankar’s claim that she had an affair, she denied it and said she believes the alleged messages were fabricated. According to her, even Sankar’s lawyers later described the messages as “emotional” rather than “sexual.”