Most people think they have unhappy relationships because they are not rich. But when we look at rich celebrities and their relationships and marriages, it looks like the odds are equal. And unlike ordinary people, they often have to hide their unhappiness from the public until it all explodes in their faces.

10 SA Celeb Couples Who Faked their Happiness

So, in this article, we will look at 10 South African celebrities whose marriages were much worse than you thought. And, who will have you say, maybe the grass isn’t greener on the other side? But before we start, do subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content like this.

10. Leleti Khumalo and Mbongeni Ngema

Well, everyone knows that this story didn’t end well, but few know the dark history behind its failure. So, let’s get into it: Leleti Khumalo and Mbongeni Ngema met on the set of Sarafina. At this time, Leleti was literally 15 and Mbongeni was in his 30s and married.

And Mbongeni took his opportunity with the gullible 15-year-old Leleti and won, obviously. Even though everyone around them was against their unholy relationship, Mbongeni fought off the haters. He even ended his own marriage to get married to Leleti later on.

And everyone thought the couple was happy, as they would share pictures together at vacations, functions, and so forth. Some of her peers even envied her lifestyle in terms of money.

The dark twist in the relationship

But the relationship would later take a dark turn as the pair were now married. Since Mbongeni Ngema knew how easily he got Leleti, he was afraid that some guy would also take her from him. So, he became paranoid, and we all know how that ends.

So, Mbongeni started trying to control where Leleti was, who she was with, and for how long, to ensure he wasn’t cheated on. And the abuse escalated such that Leleti had zero freedom at all, and after 14 years, she had enough.

She woke up one morning and said, I’ve had enough, and that’s how her 14-year abusive marriage ended with Ngema. And when the news came out, everyone was shocked because everyone thought they were happy.

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9. Somizi Mhlongo and Mogale

As famous as this relationship is, it deserves to be on our list because this couple took the country by storm. With everyone looking up to their unmatched romance,. But like all things, it’s not always as good as it seems. A few months later, the relationship began to crumble. And in this case, there are so many theories around their relationship.

Somizi and Mohale also had a toxic marriage.

Some believed Mogale used Somizi to shoot himself to fame. This is because not many people knew Mogale Motaung prior to his drama with Somizi. However, after their fabulous wedding and terrible fallout, Mogale even got an exclusive show on Showmax with his name.

So, obviously, you can see how that looks. Back to the story: what really happened? Well, the relationship started out as perfect as most but was way more promising, with constant shows of public affection from the couple until they got married.

The fallout

That’s where the fallout began. While they tried to hide it initially, it was nearly impossible, and their relationship ended in an explosion. Mogale accused Somizi of abusing him physically and being too controlling; it could be an age gap thing like with Leleti, but we don’t know.

On the other hand, Somizi denied the accusations, and even though people saw them getting married, Somizi further broke the news that they were never legally married. So, no divorce papers needed any signing. So, their marriage was so bad it didn’t even officially begin; it exploded even before any signing was done.

8. Amanda Du Pont and Shawn Rodrigues

While this story isn’t that dark, it is weird how it ended because there were no signs whatsoever that the two were unhappily married; furthermore, how they both moved on so quickly afterwards was noteworthy.

Amanda Du Pont and Shawn Rodrigues got married in July of 2018. Rodrigues did what no ordinary man could do; he took her to an island to propose and made the proposal as beautiful as it could possibly be, and Amanda couldn’t be more moved.

How Amanda and Rodriguez ended their marriage:

So, if you think being romantic does anything to make or break a relationship, remember that Rodriguez did it all and didn’t last three years.

Amanda was excited and even spoke about how it was always her grandmother’s wish to see her married before she died. So, some think that’s what pressured her to get married before she was ready.

After 3 years together, rumours started spreading that Amanda was cheating on Rodrigues; rumours she rabbished, saying the man was her bodyguard.

But not so long after, their marriage was officially over, with no reason told to the public. However, six months after their divorce, it seemed like Rodrigues had moved on. And in 2023, Amanda du Pont had moved on too.

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7. Minnie Dlamini and Quinton Jones

The news of Mini Dlamini’s separation from Quinton Jones shocked many. This is because, like most celebrity relationships, people thought the two were happily married. Minnie Dlamini had been married to Quinton Jones from 2017.

So, their relationship had almost passed the 5-year mark by a year, but life would not have them go that far as their ship was already sinking. While there were no abuse rumours or anything of the sort, it was clear that the relationship was toxic.

Why Minnie Left Jones:

Minnie Dlamini claims that she lost her identity in the relationship and ignored many red flags. She likened the marriage to a bird getting its wings clipped, saying that a relationship must allow one to grow, not stunt their growth.

After their divorce, Quinton demanded R10,000 in spousal support from Minnie Dlamini. Which left many people confused, as most thought he was the golden goose in the relationship. Minnie refused to yield, and we don’t know how they concluded their dispute.

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6. Motlatsi Mafatshe and Gabsile Tshalabalala

Like most celebrities, Motlatsi had a relationship most people were rooting for. Even a year before their divorce, Motlatsj would consistently post his wife with a lot of forever messages.

However, that didn’t last, as in 2023, he announced that he had separated from his wife a year prior and was now dating Gabsile Tshabalala.

Motlatsi Mafatshe and Gabsile Tshabalala

He never announced an official divorce, so many people were left in shock at their separation since there was no announcement until Motlatsi was dating Gabsile in 2023.

In an interview, Motlatsi revealed some more details about why his marriage had failed, saying that he got married too early and that they were no longer happy and mutually decided to call it quits.

5. Faith Nketsi and Nzuzo Njilo

Faith Nketsi and Njilo’s divorce didn’t shock many people, but the details behind it did. First of all, most young women were rooting for Nketsi, as it is a common stereotype in South Africa that beauty influencers like Nketsi are not material. Some are cursing the relationship in its early stages in 2021, saying it was bound to fail.

And that happened in 2023 when Nketsi revealed she was getting divorced from Nzuzo after almost 2 years of trying. She also revealed that Nzuzo was a scammer and had tried to scam Nketsi of the money she had made from selling one of her cars.

It looks like even the money Nzuzo claimed to have was all a front. The two had a child together, and Faith Nketsi is happy that at least one good thing came out of that relationship.

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4. Zinhle Mabena and Robert Mugabe

Zinhle Mabena is best known for playing Virginia on Smoke and Mirrors. She was married to Robert Mugabe Ngwenya, and their relationship was what everyone would desire from a relationship.

They got married after dating for no more than three months. Through Ngwenya, she even met Steve Harvey in the United States, because Ngwenya is a well-connected man.

Moreover, Ngwenya started a foundation for her in her mother’s name to rehabilitate youth and abused women. They had another NPO foundation together called the NZ Foundation.

Their relationship ended in a blast:

While everyone envied their sacred bond, no one knew that there was trouble in paradise until their collapse. After their divorce, Ngwenya accused Zinhle of trying to kill him and sending hitmen after him, allegations that Zinhle denied and clapped back, saying Ngwenya was abusive.

This is a classical ending for most of these magical celebrity marriages; they always end in accusations and literal tears. No charges were laid against Ngwenya, but Zinhle did get an interim protection order against Ngwenya.

Furthermore, Ngwenya charged Zinhle with attempted murder. This left people who admired their magical relationships doubting if people can truly be happy in relationships because even the rich and prosperous are getting hurt.

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3. Latoya Makhene and Lebo Kheswa

Like the relationship above, most people looked up to this lesbian couple. Some people even say that men are the problem and that if women date women, they’ll be happier.

But that wasn’t true; Makhene was married to Lebo Kheswa, and while they looked happy to the public, in private, a lot was happening.

Kheswa, who is the masculine one in the relationship, was actually abusive, according to Latoya. However, Makhene herself was not so innocent, as she cheated on Kheswa at one point, and Kheswa abused her after forgiving her, threatening to even cut off her dreadlocs.

But, even after they separated for the millionth time, they got back together, and now they’re back together. But if you thought women couldn’t be abusive and cheat in their own same-sex relationships, you are mistaken; this is a human problem.

2. Black Coffee and Enhle Mbali

Those who know the couple of Black Coffee and Mbali Maphumulo know that for a while, they held the mantle for one of the most admired relationships of all time in South Africa. They had children together, and they looked so happy together.

But it looks like DJ Black Coffee wasn’t so satisfied with his marriage, as he went outside and cheated on Enhle. But that didn’t end there; after their separation, more gruesome claims would be revealed as Maphumulo accused the famous DJ of abusing her physically and emotionally.

Black Coffee and Enhle Mbali are one of the SA Celeb Couples who had Toxic Relationships

Black Coffee refuted all these claims and maintained his innocence, but Maphumulo also kept her stance that Black Coffee was abusive to her.

The only thing Black Coffee admitted was that he cheated, but he never admitted anything else, alluding to the fact that Enhle was just a bitter ex trying to bring him down.

Who would’ve thought that with only one hand, the DJ could still be powerful enough to manhandle someone with two? But that doesn’t discredit Enhle, as people are capable of more than we think.

1. Shoki Mmola

Okay, everyone knows this tragic story, but how many know that it began as beautifully as many love stories? Shoki Mmola was married to Sello Sebotsane for almost more than 10 years.

And in the public eye, everything was great and beautiful. However, behind closed doors, Shoki Mmola was in survival mode for most of their marriage.

She even claimed that she would sleep with a knife under her pillow to protect herself from the monster her husband had become. But in the public eye, it was all smiles and giggles until Mmola had enough of the abuse.

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How Shoki Mmola escaped the relationship:

So, she went public with it and filed for divorce. In an interview, she expressed how she didn’t think the case would even reach court, but luckily it did, and her defense team was even more confident that she would win.

But she didn’t, and Sello Sebotsane never spent a day in jail. Furthermore, in 2023, Scandal cast Sebotsane and Mmola on the same show, which was very controversial.

Though they said he would act at different times with Shoki, ensuring they didn’t see each other, people still felt like that was not a good move. After they got divorced, Shoki was left to take care of her two daughters, one from her previous relationship and another she had with Sello.

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10 SA Celeb Couples Whose Marriges were Toxic or Worse Than The Public Thought

10 SA Celeb Couples Who Faked their Happiness