"Love is Blind" star Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee says he's "truly sorry" for hurting his former fiancee, Deepti Vempati.
Chatterjee publicly apologized to Vempati in a video this week on Instagram following the "Love is Blind" Season 2 reunion, which was recently released on Netflix.
Chatterjee and Vempati met and got engaged on "Love is Blind."
Chatterjee was was not physically attracted to Vempati and Vempati ended their engagement on their wedding day, saying she deserved someone who was sure about her.
During the reunion, Chatterjee defended his remarks about Vempati's appearance, which drew criticism from his co-stars, hosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey, and viewers.
Chatterjee said Tuesday that he has since reached out to Vempati privately but wanted to apologize publicly as well "for the sake" of his family and friends.
"I wanted to take this opportunity to really just say sorry to a woman that I know I hurt," he said.
"Deepti, I am truly sorry for some of the things that I've said. Things that honestly just could have been left unsaid, or could have been said differently. Things that never should have been on national television."
Chatterjee said Vempati was his "best friend" during filming and "loved every second" of his time with her.
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"I'm so, so sorry that I hurt you with my words. It's the last thing I wanted. I'm sorry, Deepti," he concluded the video.
Vempati's brother Sunny and his partner, Hina Merchant Vempati, previously called out Chatterjee for his "awful and cringeworthy comments."
"In spite of your best efforts to pretend this was all fictional and it was because of the 'edit,' no one forced you to say those words," Sunny Vempati and Hina Merchant Vempati said in a joint statement.
"We welcomed you into our home, and you saw it as an opportunity for clout; so forgive me if I'm not sympathetic towards you and the hate you're receiving."
"Love is Blind" is a dating reality show featuring singles who connect in "pods" where they can talk but not see each other.
The couples finally meet in person after getting engaged.
Abhishek Chatterjee / Instagram