Kriti Mehrotra
Back in 2015, Sarma Melngailis generated headlines once again, but this time, it wasn’t because of the success of her vegan empire or a cookbook; it was because she’d been accused of stealing from her business. The most alarming aspect, though, is that she then went on the lam with her husband Anthony Strangis, who is the reason she got into this mess in the first place, as per Netflix’s ‘Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.’ So now, if you’re curious to know more about their relationship, including the details of where they stand today, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
Sarma and Anthony’s Bad Vegan Journey
As the owner of Pure Food and Wine — a vegan restaurant that focused on raw yet nutritious food — Sarma Melngailis had her fair share of celebrity acquaintances, including Alec Baldwin. That’s important to mention because she met Anthony Strangis, who went by the name Shane Fox at the time, through Alec on Twitter — he’d had a few witty interactions with the actor on the platform. From there, he and Sarma somehow connected over Words With Friends and soon got into a relationship despite it being long-distance, with her in New York City and him in Massachusetts.
Their first face-to-face meeting in November 2011 didn’t go as planned, especially as Anthony was not as rugged as he’d appeared online, but Sarma gave him a chance anyway. However, despite having made things clear, his actions ensured she got pregnant a few weeks down the line, driving her to not only get an abortion but also start distancing herself from him. Nevertheless, within months, he managed to lure her back into his orbit, just to begin promising financial stability, the immortality of her pet dog Leon, and contentedness in general, as per the series.
The fact that Sarma didn’t know Anthony’s real name until a while later and that he was vague about his profession didn’t seemingly affect her, yet that’s because she always assumed it was for her own protection. Once they tied the knot in November 2012, though, things began to change, with the worst part being that it was so gradual the restauranter didn’t even notice until it was too late. According to the Netflix original, she soon lost her money, her business, and essentially all sense of herself because of his apparent manipulation, only to land in prison for about four months.
Are Sarma and Anthony Still Together?
Sarma Melngailis filed for divorce from Anthony Strangis (or Shane Fox, or Michael Caledonia) in May 2018, making it evident that they are in no way, shape, or form together anymore. With that said, although she hasn’t openly talked about it apart from implying she’s not in love with him, ‘Bad Vegan’ suggests that they are, at least, still in touch while being amicable.
After all, in the recording of their 2019 phone call — nearly two years following Sarma’s release from jail — not only did Anthony admit to missing her, but he was also proud of still having the ability to make her laugh. “I’ve been all over the world, in all these different places, and I’ve met all sorts of people over a whole lot of years,” Anthony candidly told Sarma, as per the series. “I love you. You’re the smartest person that I’ve ever met, okay? And you’re the most beautiful thing.”
Update: Sarma updated her blog to clarify that she and Anthony are not in touch anymore. She wrote, “the ending of Bad Vegan is disturbingly misleading; I am not in touch with Anthony Strangis and I made those recordings at a much earlier time, deliberately, for a specific reason.”
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