04 August,2026 02:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Brett Lee and Preity Zinta. Pic via X
The relationship between cricket and Bollywood has often made headlines. Over the years, several rumours and reports about cricketers dating actors have often made teh rounds. One such rumour of a romantic relationship doing the rounds around the late 2000s was about Australian cricketer Brett Lee dating actor Preity Zinta. The rumours often emerged during Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons when Brett played for Preity's Punjab Kings team. Years later, the cricketer has broken his silence on the rumours.
During an interview with Bombay Times, Brett Lee recently addressed the rumours which romantically linked him to Bollywood actors, saying, "Here's your scoop - I never dated a Bollywood actress."
He went on to specifically speak about Preity and said, "Preity Zinta and I were, and still are, great friends. She was the boss of the Punjab team back then. She's an incredibly smart woman, and I have a lot of respect for her. Stories like that never bothered me because I always knew the truth. People can speculate all they want, but I never let it affect me."
Around 2008-2011, Brett played for Punjab Kings (then called Kings XI Punjab). During that time, he was often linked to Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who was the co-owner of the team. Rumours that they were secretly in a relationship further fueled when they were once reportedly spotted at a Mumbai restaurant.
Back then, Preity had even taken to her social media to clarify that they were just close friends. Taking to X (Twitter then), "I think being romantically linked to Brett every year is outdated and stale news now! So sorry to say folks NO NEWS here! FRIENDS yeesss."
Brett Lee tied the knot with Elizabeth Kemp in 2006, and they have a son together. Two years after their marriage, the cricketer confirmed his separation from his wife. The couple formally divorced in 2009. Later, in 2014, he married Lana Anderson after dating for a year. They have two children together.
On the other hand, Preity married Gene Goodenough in Los Angeles in 2016. In 2021, the couple welcomed twins through surrogacy.
