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The South African
10 hours ago
- The South African
Eliza Spencer - Princess Diana's niece - engaged to SA businessman
Lady Eliza Spencer – the niece of the late Princess Diana – has announced her engagement to South African businessman, Channing Millerd. The blonde model is the twin sister of Amelia and the younger sibling of Kitty. Their father is Charles Spencer, the older brother of the late royal. The Spencer siblings, including brother Louis, were raised in Cape Town, South Africa, out of the spotlight. On Thursday, 31 July, Lady Eliza Spencer posted pictures on Instagram of her recent engagement to Channing Millerd. The romantic proposal took place in Santorini, Greece, during a picturesque sunset. 'Forever and ever', Eliza captioned the pics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eliza Spencer (@elizavspencer) The engagement comes a few weeks after the London-based model and socialite celebrated her 33rd birthday. Calling her the 'love of my life, my inspiration and my heart', Channing posted on his Instagram account: 'You epitomise grace yet have a fierce strength that holds our world together. Lady Eliza Spencer is engaged! Image via Instagram: @elizavspencer 'Thank you for everything that you are, I truly am the luckiest man in this world to be able to call you mine'. Lady Eliza Spencer and Channing Millerd, who has a son from a previous relationship, began dating in 2016. Her wedding will come hot on the heels of her sisters Amelia, who married in 2023, and Kitty, who wed in 2021. Charles Spencer – the brother of the late Princess Diana – reportedly did not attend the nuptials over their 'strained' relationship. Lady Eliza Spencer's future husband is a Cape Town businessman, whose current role is the COO of Marxhoff, the alcohol beverage company co-founded by Springboks Malcolm Marx and Steven Kitshoff. Eliza and Channing are pals with the Springbok couples, as well as many others who follow them on Instagram. He also manages Lala V, a luxury Provence rosé wine he co-founded with his now fiancée. The couple has vacationed in beautiful destinations around the world, including Venice in Italy, the Maldives, Mallorca in Spain, and Austria. They're even considering a seaside wedding. Eliza told Hello! Magazine: 'We love the idea of a destination wedding. 'We feel drawn to Italy, especially somewhere by the ocean – that feels so romantic to us.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
16 hours ago
- The South African
Sydney Sweeney's jeans campaign sparks racial debate
US jeans brand American Eagle has stirred controversy with its new ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The campaign, launched in late July 2025, plays on the words 'genes' and 'jeans,' with Sweeney, who is blonde-haired and blue-eyed. The actress delivered lines such as 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' and 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My jeans are blue.' This wordplay, intended to be playful and bold, has been criticised online for evoking racist themes and implying to eugenics, according to ABC. This is a discredited and racist theory popular among white supremacists that advocated improving the human race through selective breeding. Critics argue that pairing such language with Sweeney's conventional appearance mirrors the far-right's emphasis on whiteness as superior. TikTok activist Jeff Kissubi said he felt confused initially. Upon reflection, he noticed the language and imagery subtly echoed ideologies linked to racial purity and far-right culture in America. Such associations are particularly sensitive given current US political dynamics, including the return of far-right narratives. University of Melbourne's Dr Lauren Rosewarne noted that while advertisers employ focus groups, they cannot fully predict how social media with its niche communities will interpret such symbolism. She compared the uproar to past controversies, such as the 1980s Calvin Klein campaign featuring Brooke Shields that faced backlash for suggestive messaging. Rosewarne pointed out that Sydney Sweeney has a history of divisive moments. One such moment is the 2022 incident involving MAGA-style hats at a family celebration. However, she benefits from 'pretty privilege' which shields her to some extent from harsher criticism. American Eagle defended the campaign internally. Their marketing VP Ashley Schapiro confirming Sweeney's enthusiastic involvement in pushing the concept's boldness. The company quietly adjusted some visuals to include more diversity following the backlash but retained the core messaging and ad content. Despite mixed reception, the campaign boosted sales by 10-18% (roughly R 500 million+ given American Eagle's market scale estimation). Their limited-edition 'Sydney Jean' line quickly sold out. Importantly, the campaign will donate all net proceeds to Crisis Text Line, a US-based mental health and domestic violence charity. This underscored the social cause backing the campaign. Some voices, including conservative commentators and the Trump administration's White House Communications Director, dismissed the backlash. They called it 'cancel culture run amok' and political correctness taken too far. They viewed accusations of racial undertones as overreactions. Theydefended the advert as a straightforward product promotion praising Sweeney's physical appearance, not race. This controversy highlights global tensions around race, representation, and marketing in the post-apartheid era. Issues of racial identity remain deeply sensitive. South African consumers can draw parallels with local reckonings on media portrayal and inclusivity in advertising. The debate here echoes wider questions on how brands navigate identity politics and historical racial injustices responsibly in marketing. As Dr Rosewarne summarises, 'brands no longer exist in a vacuum' in a hyper-aware social media age. The Sydney Sweeney-American Eagle episode shows how even playful wordplay can provoke serious conversations about race, privilege, and historical context. These are discussions relevant across diverse societies, including South Africa. The campaign's proceeds supporting mental health and domestic violence efforts reiterate the brand's intent beyond controversy. However, the episode underscores the complexity brands face today in multicultural and politically charged environments. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
20 hours ago
- IOL News
Tyla's 'Water' hits rough seas: songwriters file lawsuit over royalty claims
Tyla, the South African sensation, is facing a lawsuit from two songwriters over alleged unpaid royalties linked to her Grammy-winning hit 'Water'. Image: X Tyla is facing a lawsuit over royalties linked to the success of her 2023 breakout song. The South African sensation's Grammy-winning hit song 'Water' has been a game-changer for her career, but it seems the ripple effects of its success are now being felt differently. As reported by 'Billboard', two contributors to 'Water' have filed a lawsuit alleging they were unfairly excluded from proper royalty payments due to what they describe as a 'nefarious' plan orchestrated by one of the track's main producers. The California-based songwriters, Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who worked on the chart-topping hit, filed a lawsuit on Friday, July 25, against the 23-year-old singer and her British producer, Sammy SoSo (real name Samuel Awuku), and Sony Music Entertainment, which owns Tyla's label, Epic Records. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ In March 2023, the duo collaborated with Awuku and producer Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known as Rayo, during a recording session in Los Angeles, creating numerous audio recordings that were used in the final version of 'Water'. The lawsuit claims that Awuku intentionally sidelined them by signing an exclusive deal with Tyla to take sole credit for the song's production, offering the pair only 10% each in publishing royalties while keeping 15% for himself. The court filing further cites that the plaintiffs tried for months to resolve the matter with Awuku, but he refused to cooperate. According to the complaint, Awuku allegedly hid his involvement in the song's creation and duped them into agreeing to a lower royalty rate. The plaintiffs claim they only discovered the truth in a May 2024 meeting with Epic Records President Ezekiel Lewis, where they learned Awuku had never told the label about any co-producers. The plaintiffs are seeking official producer credits on the track and want their royalty rate adjusted to 12.5%, both retroactively and moving forward. They are also requesting a producer fee. 'Because the defendants have refused to recognise the plaintiffs' status as top-line producers of the song and have failed to pay the plaintiffs all the royalties owed to them, the plaintiffs have each suffered injury in fact,' the complaint reads. Zucca and LoMastro claim that being left out of the credits has cost them more than just money. It has also harmed their reputations and closed doors to new opportunities in the industry. Additionally, the suit states that 'Water' has generated over $10 million in revenue since its release, with estimated earnings potentially exceeding $50 million. The pair once filed a suit in March 2023 against the same defendants, which they voluntarily withdrew on Thursday, July 24, before refiling the next day with a new attorney. The lawsuit names Tyla as a defendant; however, it does not allege any misconduct on her part. She also has not made any public comments on the matter. The remarkable success of 'Water' Released in July 2023, 'Water' remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 29 weeks and reached as high as No 7. It later earned a Grammy for Best African Music Performance, a win that was followed by many as she won various local and international awards. At the age of 22, 'Water' gave Tyla a groundbreaking 2024. She owned the year with incredible milestones going from strength to strength and cemented herself as a trailblazing global superstar. The song has racked up over 1 billion streams on Spotify and more than 200 million YouTube views since its release in 2023.
