Apoorva Mukhija Moves to New York for Studies, Begins a New Chapter After ‘India’s Got Latent’ Turmoil

THE CELEBRITY HOUR Apoorva Mukhija, better known online as The Rebel Kid, has begun a new chapter away from India, with the content creator confirming that she has moved to New York.

The relocation comes after an eventful period in Mukhija's public life, spanning the fallout from the India's Got Latent controversy, reality-show appearances and her return to content creation.

Mukhija has now shared glimpses of settling into New York and indicated that she is there to study. In her social-media updates, she also expressed a desire to build a life in the city, saying, “I really want to live here.”

The move is significant for a creator whose professional identity has, until now, been closely tied to India's rapidly expanding influencer and digital-entertainment ecosystem.

Why has Apoorva Mukhija moved to New York?

The immediate reason is education.

Reports surrounding her move say Mukhija is pursuing further studies in New York. She has also been linked to Columbia University, with reports describing her course as a master's programme.

However, there is an important distinction to make.

While Mukhija's move to New York and the educational purpose behind it have now been reported from her updates, details surrounding her exact programme and university should be treated more cautiously until they are clearly confirmed through her own detailed announcement or the institution.

Her move had been discussed online as early as June 2026, when speculation began after farewell-related posts circulated on social media.

At the time, much of the information particularly claims that she was heading to Columbia was based on social-media chatter rather than a detailed announcement from Mukhija herself.

Her arrival in New York now settles the larger question of whether she was actually relocating abroad, even if every academic detail has not been independently established.

The move follows a turbulent period in her career

Mukhija's relocation also comes after a particularly difficult stretch in the public eye.

In February 2025, she appeared on an episode of comedian Samay Raina's India's Got Latent alongside Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani and Jaspreet Singh.

The episode triggered a major controversy after clips containing offensive and sexually explicit remarks circulated online.

The repercussions went well beyond social-media criticism.

Police investigations followed, and Mukhija was among those questioned in connection with the episode. Maharashtra Cyber recorded her statement in February 2025, while she later appeared before the National Commission for Women in March.

The controversy also affected her professional commitments. She was removed from an IIFA-related appearance in Jaipur amid protests surrounding her participation.

Mukhija subsequently revealed that the episode's fallout affected her personal life as well. She said she had to vacate the Mumbai home where she had been staying after the controversy.

Apoorva later spoke about the personal impact of the backlash

Rather than disappearing permanently from public life, Mukhija gradually returned to entertainment and digital content.

She later spoke publicly about the emotional toll of the India's Got Latent episode and the intense backlash that followed it.

During a later reality-show appearance, she discussed the support she received from fellow creator Sufi Motiwala during that period. She has also addressed the controversy in interviews and conversations about online hate, fame and mental health.

Her career subsequently expanded beyond short-form social content.

Mukhija appeared on Prime Video's reality series The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar, and later became associated with Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa.

Those appearances helped position her increasingly within the wider entertainment ecosystem rather than solely as an Instagram creator.

New York doesn't necessarily mean the end of The Rebel Kid

Mukhija's decision to study abroad raises an interesting question about what happens to her creator career, but there is currently no credible indication that she intends to stop making content.

Moving abroad does not necessarily require her to choose between education and her digital career. For creators whose work is distributed primarily through social platforms, location is considerably less restrictive than it would be in a conventional entertainment career.

New York could therefore represent an expansion of Mukhija's life rather than a departure from the career that made her famous.

What remains unclear is how she plans to balance academic commitments with content creation and entertainment projects in India.

For now, she appears focused on settling into the city and beginning the next phase on her own terms.

The Celebrity Hour Take

It would be tempting to frame Apoorva Mukhija's New York relocation entirely as an escape from the India's Got Latent controversy. The available facts don't justify reducing it to that.

The controversy unquestionably became a major chapter in her public life: it brought legal scrutiny, professional consequences and an extraordinary level of online attention. But more than a year has passed since the episode erupted, and Mukhija has since returned to entertainment projects and continued building her creator career.

What makes the New York move interesting is therefore not simply that she has physically left India. It is that a creator who built her identity through India's social-media ecosystem is choosing to pursue education while her digital career remains active.

Whether New York becomes a temporary academic chapter or a longer-term base remains to be seen. Until Mukhija spells out those plans herself, describing the move as a permanent exit from India would go further than the evidence currently allows.