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Celebrity moments of 2021 – The good, the bad, and the WTF
It was a roller coaster ride in the entertainment industry this past year. Here's the best and worst moments that stood out for us.
A lot happened in the celebrity world and these are the good and bad moments from 2021. Picture: Instagram
There is never a dull moment in the entertainment industry and every year we look back, almost in disbelief at the hijinks our South African celebrities get up to.
2021 was a roller coaster ride and these are some of the standout moments – good and bad.
Best:
Baby boom:
Many local celebrities welcomed bundles of joy this year.
From DJ Zinhle welcoming her second child Asante, to K Naomi Noinyane becoming a first-time mom to daughter Ama, and of course the leading actresses of M-Net’s telenovela Legacy SA who are all around the same stage of their pregnancies.
Readers also enjoyed seeing the faces of their favourite celebrity children, particularly inside looks into the kids birthday parties.
RELATED: DJ Zinhle’s bae Bongani Mohosana shares first photo of Asante
Minnie-Dlamini-Jones and Pearl Modiadie’s son’s parties grabbed loads of attention.
Breakout star:
Thuso Mbedu had a massive year in the United States with her breakout role as the lead in the critically acclaimed Amazon series, The Underground Railroad.
She won Outstanding Performance in a New Series at the 2021 Gotham Awards and was presented with an honorary recognition award as “TV Breakout Star” at the Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Engagements and weddings:
There were some engagements in the Miss South Africa fraternity and many former Miss SA contestants tied the knot.
From Dr Musa Mtombeni’s romantic proposal to former Miss SA 2015 Liesl Laurie, to runner up in the 2020 pageant Thato Mosehle’s engagement to a mystery man, fans were well served.
Dr Tamaryn Green, Miss SA 2018’s, picturesque proposal in April and her stunning traditional wedding a couple of months later also ranked high on social media.
ALSO READ: How Musa and Liesl are using the spectacle of their marriage to inspire change
Worst:
Messy Celebrity breakups:
Mohale Motaung and Somizi Mhlongo’s break-up took people by surprise, despite rumours of their impending split raging for months in advance.
It was finally confirmed by Mohale in an explosive interview with City Press, where he detailed allegedly being abused by Somizi, allegations which he later denied.
This did, however, affect Somizi’s career, as he was placed on leave from Metro FM and mutually parted ways with Idols SA.
There is no love lost between the former partners, with Somizi even saying earlier this year that Mohale is “no longer alive to him”.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Somizi on Mohale: ‘He’s no longer alive’ to me
Another couple that hogged the spotlight for all the wrong reasons was former Isibaya actress Zinhle Mabena and Robert Ngwenya.
The events of their split was similar to a movie script. Ngwenya accused his ex-wife Zinhle of attempted murder and a planned assassination, which her ex-husband says led to his bodyguard being killed instead.
The couple’s personal life took a dramatic turn when Zinhle was arrested in February on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. The case was thrown out of court due to a lack of evidence.
As the couple headed for a divorce, they both made allegations of domestic violence against each other.
It has been reported that Ngwenya will write a book about the events and his short-lived marriage.
Celebrity deaths
There was much sadness and shock in the film and television industry this year, as we lost some iconic faces.
Shona Ferguson’s death came with plenty of disbelief, with some fans still grappling with his passing to this day. The Fergusons Films founder, a production company responsible for top shows such as The Queen, Rockville, and Kings of Joburg, passed away on 31 July, due to Covid-19 complications.
His legacy lives on as his production company and wife Connie Ferguson continue to work on many TV shows.
Another shocking passing was that of veteran Generations actor Menzi Ngubane, who died in March 2021 after suffering a stroke in his home.
RELATED: In memorium: A look back at the famous faces we lost in 2021
7de Laan actress Themsie Times, jazz musician Jonas Gwangwa, Prince Philip, Noxolo Maqashalala, Killer Kau, AKA’s late fiancee Anele “Nelly” Tembe, The Real Housewives of Johannesburg star Naledi Willers, and Isidingo veteran actor Clive Scott are some of the other well known faces we lost in 2021.
WTF moment of the year
Andile Mpisane’s surprise engagement and wedding is hands down the most puzzling moment of 2021.
The 20 year old Royal AM chairman who has two children with Sithelo Shozi, 27, married a woman no one was even aware he was dating, 25-year-old Tamia Louw.
From the outside looking in, many people had never heard of Louw, nor were people aware she was in a relationship with Andile because of his relationship with Sithelo.
Nonetheless, the pair announced their nuptuals with great fanfare and luxury, as is the case with everything Mpisane does.
