Boom Shaka’s Theo opens up
'I felt rejected and became depressed and suicidal,' he says.
Theo Nhlengethwa and Thembi Seete arriving at the 2014 Channel O Awards at the Nasrec Indoor Expo Centre south of Johannesburg. Picture: sowetanlive.co.za
In an enlightening interview with Drum magazine, Boom Shaka singer and former star, Theo Nhlengethwa, spoke out about fighting depression and suicide attempts from the year 2014.
Talking to the magazine, Theo explained that things became worse subsequent to the death of the group’s lead singer Lebo Mathosa. The singer explained that Mathosa’s death hit him hard for years, and caused him to be admitted to hospital several times. He further explained that public assumptions and gossip over his health matters also had a major impact on his recovery.
“People have said the most shocking things about me and it’s one of the reasons I landed up in hospital. I became a joke and a laughing stock. I don’t want to go back there,” he told the publication.
Theo spent months in hospital and was even wrongly diagnosed with thrombosis; an illness that causes clotting of the blood. It was only after he was relocated to a different hospital that it appeared he was suffering from depression. “I felt rejected and became depressed and suicidal,” he said.
Today, by the look of things, it seems as if the singer is reclaiming his life and trying to make his way back into the music industry.
All the best, Theo!
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.