If you’ve spent any time digging through the dusty corners of Bollywood gossip, you know some stories just won’t stay buried. They linger. They resurface every few years like a ghost that refuses to move on. One of those stories—arguably the most persistent one in Aamir Khan’s long career—is the saga involving British journalist Jessica Hines.
Honestly, it’s a mess.
It involves a secret child, a high-profile divorce, and a brother who just won't stop talking to the press. For a man like Aamir Khan, who has carefully curated a "Mr. Perfectionist" image for decades, the Jessica Hines controversy is the one jagged edge that doesn't fit the puzzle.
The Stardust Bombshell that Started it All
Back in 2005, the Indian entertainment magazine Stardust dropped a report that felt like a grenade. They claimed that while Aamir was filming the 1998 hit Ghulam, he met a British writer named Jessica Hines. She was in India to research a biography on Amitabh Bachchan titled Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me.
The report didn't just hint at a fling. It alleged a full-blown live-in relationship.
According to the magazine, Jessica became pregnant during this time. The story goes that when she told Aamir, he supposedly gave her an ultimatum: abort the baby or end the relationship. Jessica, being the independent force she is, chose the latter. She left India, went back to London, and raised her son, Jaan Harry Hines, on her own.
Was Jaan really Aamir’s son?
Aamir Khan has never officially confirmed this. Not once. But his silence hasn't stopped the internet from playing detective. A few years ago, photos of Jaan Hines started circulating on social media. People were stunned. The resemblance was uncanny—the same eyes, the same facial structure. Netizens began calling him a "carbon copy" of the Lagaan star.
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Jaan has since grown up and even dabbled in modeling, appearing in Vogue UK. While Jessica has occasionally spoken to the media, she’s remained largely protective of her son’s privacy, essentially saying that he has a father figure in her husband, William Talbot, and that they don’t need anyone else.
Faissal Khan: The Brother Who Reopened the Wound
Just when the story seemed to be fading into "legend" status, Aamir’s own brother, Faissal Khan, brought it back into the headlines with a vengeance. In August 2025, Faissal held a press conference that sent shockwaves through the industry.
Faissal didn't mince words. He claimed the rumors were absolutely true.
He alleged that Aamir had an affair with Jessica Hines while he was still technically married to his first wife, Reena Dutta. He went even further, challenging Aamir to a DNA test. "Everyone knows he has a child with her," Faissal told reporters. He claimed he had written letters to the family years ago, confronting them about their "hypocrisy," which he says led to the family trying to declare him mentally unstable.
It’s a heavy accusation. Family politics in the Khan household have always been complicated, but this took it to a whole new level of public scrutiny.
The Timeline: A Tangled Web of Relationships
To understand why this is so controversial, you have to look at the timeline. If the allegations are true, Aamir was juggling a lot more than just movie roles in the late 90s and early 2000s.
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- 1986: Aamir marries Reena Dutta.
- 1998: Filming of Ghulam. This is when he reportedly meets Jessica Hines.
- 2002: Aamir and Reena officially divorce.
- 2003-2005: Rumors suggest he’s living with Jessica, while also getting close to Kiran Rao on the sets of Lagaan.
- 2005: The Stardust article breaks. Aamir marries Kiran Rao later that year.
- 2021: Aamir and Kiran announce their divorce.
- 2025-2026: Faissal Khan’s public claims bring Jessica Hines back into the spotlight.
The overlap is what gets people. If the story holds water, it paints a picture of a man whose personal life was far more chaotic than the "socially conscious intellectual" persona he presents on shows like Satyamev Jayate.
Where is Jessica Hines Now?
Jessica didn't let the Bollywood drama define her life. Far from it. She’s currently a successful author and the Co-Founder of Fingerprint Content in the UK. Her company works at the intersection of entertainment and social impact—focusing on things like climate change and justice.
She eventually married William Talbot, a London businessman, in 2007. In interviews, she’s been clear that William is the one who stepped up. He raised Jaan as his own. When asked about Aamir in recent years, her response is usually a polite but firm, "Let's not comment on that."
She seems to have moved on. The question is: has the public?
Why This Story Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about something that happened over twenty years ago. It’s because it touches on the one thing fans hate: inconsistency.
Aamir Khan built a brand out of being the "conscious" superstar. He talks about ethics, family values, and truth. If he truly has a son in London that he refused to acknowledge, it creates a massive crack in that pedestal.
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The DNA Factor
In the age of social media and easy information, people want "receipts." While Faissal Khan claims to have proof, Aamir has chosen the path of dignified (or strategic) silence. In the court of public opinion, that silence is often interpreted as an admission.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Observers
If you're following this story, here is how to navigate the noise:
- Check the Source: Most of the "new" information comes from Faissal Khan, who has a publicly strained and legal battle-filled relationship with his brother. Take his claims with a grain of salt, but acknowledge they are the most direct accusations to date.
- Respect Privacy: Jaan Hines is an adult who didn't choose to be part of a Bollywood scandal. While the resemblance is a talking point, he has lived his life away from the Indian media for a reason.
- Separate Art from Artist: It’s possible to appreciate Aamir’s contribution to cinema—movies like Dangal or 3 Idiots—while acknowledging that his personal history might be messy and flawed.
The saga of Jessica Hines and Aamir Khan remains one of Bollywood’s most enduring mysteries. Whether it’s a case of a superstar protecting his image or a woman choosing a quiet life over a public battle, the truth likely sits somewhere in the middle of those London streets and the Mumbai film sets.
For now, the only people who truly know what happened are Jessica, Aamir, and perhaps a young man in London who looks remarkably like a certain Indian superstar.
Next Steps for Researching This Topic:
To get a fuller picture of this controversy, you should look into the archived interviews from Stardust (2005) and the recent press statements made by the Khan family in response to Faissal's 2025 allegations. Comparing Jessica's own professional achievements at Fingerprint Content with the tabloid narratives provides a necessary perspective on her life outside of the "star's ex" label.