Lasizwe cuts ties with MultiChoice amid podcast payment dispute
Media personality and YouTuber Thulasizwe 'Lasizwe' Dambuza has reportedly parted ways with MultiChoice.
This follows a dispute involving unpaid fees and an alleged breach of agreement with social media influencer Dominic Zaca.
Lasizwe's podcast, Awkward Dates, was among eight original shows announced by MultiChoice in March this year to air on its DStv platforms.
However, according to City Press the collaboration has allegedly collapsed due to controversy over guest compensation.
Zaca took to TikTok, accusing Lasizwe and his team of airing her episode on television without her consent.
Zaca claimed their agreement restricted distribution to social media platforms only.
'Lasizwe Dambuza, would you and your team like to pay me for breaching the contract we had?
'You guys breached a verbal contract, you breached a written contract, and I don't know what contract you gave to MultiChoice. I would think that MultiChoice would not air my episode, knowing full well that I did not sign that contract in full agreement.'
Zaca alleged that the production team and Lasizwe had ignored attempts to resolve the matter privately.
'I've been trying to settle this privately with emails and phone calls, but you're just ignoring me. Unfortunately, my job is my face, my voice, and my body — that's how I support my family, so you are basically using me.'
ALSO READ: Sizwe Dhlomo declines LaSizwe's 'Awkward Dates' invite
Lasizwe's subtle response
Meanwhile, Lasizwe appeared to dismiss the claims during a recent episode of his YouTube show Drink or Tell the Truth, implying he does not owe Zaca.
When guest Cyan Boujee asked Lasizwe how much he owed Zaca, he responded dismissively: 'Who's that?'
He then asked Cyan how much she believed he owed Zaca, since she had also featured on Awkward Dates. Cyan replied that he owed her nothing, to which Lasizwe said, 'Thank you,' before moving on from the topic.
NOW READ: Boitshepo Lamola to fly SA flag at Miss Grand International 2025 in Bangkok
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
5 hours ago
- eNCA
Italian Brainrot: the AI memes only kids know
In a Japanese shop selling pocket-money trinkets, there is a rack of toys, stickers and keyrings based on a global crew of AI-generated characters that almost every child knows about -- and very few adults. A walking shark in oversized sneakers, an orange with muscular arms and a twirling "Ballerina Cappuccina" with a mug for a head are among the strange stars of the online phenomenon called Italian Brainrot. "At first it's not funny at all, but it kind of grows on you," 16-year-old Yoshi Yamanaka-Nebesney from New York told AFP. "You might use it to annoy someone and find that funny." The name nods to the stupefying effect of scrolling through mindless social media posts, especially over-the-top images created with artificial intelligence tools. Shouty, crude and often nonsensical Italian voiceovers feature in many of the clips made by people in various countries that began to spread this year on platforms such as TikTok, embraced by young Gen Z and Gen Alpha members. The dozen-plus cartoonish AI creatures have fast become memes, inspiring a stream of new content such as "Brainrot Rap", viewed 116 million times on YouTube. A YouTube Short titled "Learn to Draw 5 Crazy Italian Brainrot Animals" -- including a cactus-elephant crossover named "Lirili Larila" -- has also been watched 320 million times. "There's a whole bunch of phrases that all these characters have," said Yamanaka-Nebesney, in Tokyo with his mother Chinami, who had no idea what he was talking about. School-age Italian Brainrot fans can be found from Kenya to Spain and South Korea, while some of the most popular videos reference Indonesia's language and culture instead. "I went on trips with my boys to Mexico" and people would "crack jokes about it" there too, Yamanaka-Nebesney said. - 'Melodic language' - Internet trends move fast, and Italian Brainrot "hit its peak maybe two months ago or a month ago", said Idil Galip, a University of Amsterdam lecturer in new media and digital culture. Italian -- a "melodic language that has opportunities for jokes" -- has appeared in other memes before. AFP | STR And "there are just so many people in Indonesia" sharing posts which have potential for global reach, Galip said. A "multi-level marketing economy" has even emerged, with AI video-makers targeting Italian Brainrot's huge audience through online ads or merchandise sales, she added. Nurina, a 41-year-old Indonesian NGO worker, said her seven-year-old loves the mashed-up brainrot world. "Sometimes when I pick him up from school, or when I'm working from home, he shouts, 'Mommy! Bombardino Crocodilo!'" -- a bomber plane character with a crocodile head. "I know it's fun to watch," said Nurina, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "I just need to make him understand that this is not real." Some videos have been criticised for containing offensive messages that go over young viewers' heads, such as rambling references in Italian to "Bombardino Crocodilo" bombing children in Gaza. "The problem is that these characters are put into adult content" and "many parents are not tech-savvy" enough to spot the dangers, warned Oriza Sativa, a Jakarta-based clinical psychologist. - Tung Tung Tung Sahur - The best-known Indonesian brainrot character "Tung Tung Tung Sahur" resembles a long drum called a kentongan, which is used to wake people up for a pre-dawn meal, or sahur, during Ramadan. Indonesia has a young, digitally active population of around 280 million, and "Tung Tung Tung Sahur" is not its only viral export. This summer, video footage -- not AI-generated -- of a sunglass-wearing boy dancing on a rowboat during a race at a western Indonesian festival also became an internet sensation. Noxa, the TikToker behind the original "Tung Tung Tung Sahur" clip, is now represented by a Paris-based collective of artists, lawyers and researchers called Mementum Lab. "Noxa is a content creator based in Indonesia. He's under 20," they told AFP. "He makes fast, overstimulated, AI-assisted videos." "He doesn't call himself a 'contemporary artist', but we think he's already acting like one," said Mementum Lab, which is focused on complex emerging issues around AI intellectual property, and says it is helping Noxa negotiate deals for his work. Noxa, in comments provided by the collective, said the character was "inspired by the sound of the sahur drum I used to hear". "I didn't want my character to be just another passing joke -- I wanted him to have meaning," he said. Cultural nuances can be lost at a mass scale, however, with one 12-year-old tourist in Tokyo saying he thought "Tung Tung Tung Sahur" was a baseball bat. And the generation gap looks set to persist. "What's that?!" laughed a woman as she puzzled at the row of Italian Brainrot dolls. "It's not cute at all!"
The South African
10 hours ago
- The South African
Eva Longoria's celebrity tequila brand caught in legal dispute
Jack Brinkley-Cook's ride-sharing company, Rove, is embroiling Eva Longoria's tequila brand, Casa Del Sol, in a legal dispute. Rove alleges that Casa Del Sol owes R30 million (about $2 million) in overdue payments for an advertising campaign. The dispute centres around Casa Del Sol's failure to pay for advertising displays promised under a multi-year agreement, according to The Blast. Despite repeated assurances of payment, Casa Del Sol reportedly missed payments for November and December 2023, extending into January 2024. When Rove sought payment, they say they received only empty promises, forcing them to halt the advertising campaign in January this year. Rove claims substantial financial losses due to unpaid invoices and investments made to prepare for the campaign. These include costs for procuring unused vehicles, technical infrastructure, advertising materials, and hiring staff and drivers. Rove is now pursuing compensation to cover these losses, seeking a total of R30 million. Rove highlights that while Casa Del Sol was neglecting payments, the tequila brand hosted extravagant promotional events. For example, in 2023, Casa Del Sol threw a star-studded party in Aspen featuring big names such as DJ Diplo. The brand also spent heavily renting a mansion in the Hamptons for popular TikTok influencer Alix Earle and her friends. Rove's lawsuit criticises this lavish spending amid unsettled debts. Although Eva Longoria co-founded Casa Del Sol, she is not directly named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Her lawyer, Andrew Bochner, confirmed that the company is taking the matter seriously and has already started an internal investigation. He said, 'The company is currently reviewing these matters with the utmost seriousness it deserves. We are exploring all available options and intend to respond through the appropriate channels'. The outcome of this lawsuit could be a crucial lesson in accountability for celebrity-led brands seeking to expand globally. Millions are at stake and reputations lie on the line, so many will closely watch how Casa Del Sol handles these accusations. 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 Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
Book fair in uMhlanga to focus on planet, people, power
THE much-anticipated 2025 Eduvos Durban International Book Fair returns from August 14 to 17 at Eduvos, Umhlanga, and will conclude with a special closing event on August 18 at The Beach Café. Also read: Durban North resident reflects on Amashova victory This year's theme, 'Planet, People, and Power,' sets the stage for deep and dynamic conversations around the most urgent challenges facing our world today; from climate change and environmental justice to the social and political forces shaping our future. Now in its latest edition, the book fair continues to grow as a platform for meaningful dialogue and literary celebration. The event will feature book launches, panel discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions tailored for readers, writers, educators, and activists of all ages. Founder, Anivesh Singh, says the theme was chosen to reflect the current global moment. 'Books have always played a vital role in shaping consciousness and inspiring change. This year, we want to use literature as a lens to explore the planet we live on, the people we share it with, and the power structures that influence us all,' he said. A full programme of events will be released soon. For more information, email [email protected]. For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here
