His 2017 film Mersal faced massive nationwide political backlash from the ruling party, the BJP, over scenes and dialogues criticising the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

In 2020, Income Tax officials escorted Vijay directly from the sets of Master to his residence for intense questioning about alleged unaccounted financial transactions tied to the massive box office success of Bigil.

Income Tax officials have conducted multiple raids at Vijay's house over alleged tax evasion related to his earnings, including those for Puli and Bigil.

In September 2021, Vijay filed a civil lawsuit against 11 people, including his father, S.A. Chandrasekhar, and mother, Shobha, to prevent them from using his name, photographs, or fan club for political activities, after his father allegedly attempted to register a political party using Vijay’s name without his consent.

In late 2025, Vijay's wife, Sangeetha, filed for divorce from the actor, citing infedility as the reason for problems in their marriage, leading to a fallout with his kids.

Although his relationship with his co-star Trisha has always been an on-and-off topic, they sparked a controversy by attending a wedding together wearing matching outfits amid his divorce proceedings in 2025.

In March 2026, during the election campaigning, Vijay and several TVK cadre members were booked by Chennai Police for conducting a roadshow in violation of the official election model code of conduct.

A petition was filed in the Madras High Court against Vijay, alleging a discrepancy of over Rs 100 crore in income between two affidavits filed by Vijay for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In April 2025, a Muslim cleric from  Uttar Pradesh issued a fatwa against the actor, urging Muslims to distance themselves from him following a controversial Iftar party. The cleric claimed that Vijay invited 'gamblers and liquor consumers' to an Iftar party in Chennai during Ramadan.

On September 27, 2025, a massive crowd gathered at a political rally led by Vijay's party (TVK) in Karur, resulting in a tragic stampede that killed 41 people and injured dozens. The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe into the incident.

His film, Jana Nayagan, which was expected to release in January 2026, continues to face censorship issues, as they film is yet to be cleared by the CBFC for release.

Amid the censorship row, Jana Nayagan was leaked online and widely circulated, causing a political uproar ahead of the elections.

Apart from Mersal and Jana Nayagan, several of his films, including Kaavalan (2011), Thalaivaa (2013), Sarkar (2018), Kaththi (2014) and Thuppakki (2012), have found themselves in trouble over various reasons.