Latest news with #Untied
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Mona Monyane reflects on losing her children, heartbreak and more
Mona was the latest guest on the Showmax's hit talk show Untied. Actress Mona Monyane recently opened up about the tragic loss of her children, a fire that destroyed her family home, and the end of her marriage. Mona was married to fellow actor Khulu Skenjana. In 2020, the pair announced their separation after four years of marriage. In 2017, they welcomed their first child. When their firstborn was seven months old in 2018, she fell pregnant again, but their second child passed away shortly after birth. At the time, she, her husband, and their firstborn had moved into her family home due to financial struggles. Mona Monyane on marriage and loss Speaking to Relebogile Mabotja on the Showmax talk show UnTied, Mona said the experience was painful, but necessary. 'That was the most profoundly painful thing God has ever done to me, but it was necessary. I was going to die in that marriage. I had lost myself to the point where I couldn't recognise who I was when I looked in the mirror. My dreams were gone. I didn't want to act anymore; I thought I had no talent,' she said. Mona said they tried for another baby after three months of her second baby's passing, but she suffered a miscarriage. Explaining why she continued trying to salvage the relationship despite all she had endured, she said: 'I wanted to save my marriage. I didn't want to raise my baby alone, and I didn't want to have a single-parent household. And that's what you do in marriage, you fight through the hard stuff.' Mona said the turning point for her was when her family home burned to ashes a few months after losing her babies. 'There were just circumstances around that fire that didn't make sense to me… It was also how it was handled — when you don't feel supported even in times like that. I cannot keep making excuses for not receiving what I desire out of this marriage.' NOW READ: 'We get compared to being sisters a lot': Jojo Robinson on her friendship with Khanyi Mbau
News24
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
‘Never lose yourself in a relationship because of a man' - Zenande Mfenyana on playing Thumeka
She has been the talk of social media since the show premiered. Her portrayal of such a complex character has resonated with female viewers, who can't help but sympathise with her situation. She's no stranger to playing captivating characters that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Her previous roles include Noluntu Memela on Generations and Goodness Mabuza on The Queen. Now, she takes on the striking role of Thumeka on Inimba. Read more | Dawn Thandeka King opens up about her divorce on Untied: 'That killed me' Talented South African actress Zenande Mfenyana has captured the hearts of many as Thumeka in Inimba. Thumeka's love for Hlathi knows no bounds, and she will stop at nothing to hold onto him. In the show, her world falls apart when her partner for 20 years abruptly decides to leave her and go back to his first wife (Zoleka), who also happens to be Thumeka's cousin. To regain his love, Thumeka goes to unimaginable measures to alter her appearance and wardrobe to look like her husband's first wife. The realisation that her actions are in vain causes her to unravel, and her desperation leads her to attempt to take her own life. Speaking to Drum, Zenande reveals the impact, lessons and challenges the role has taught her. Read more | Senior Oat opens up about financial struggles - 'I just want bookings' She says that in a way, she could resonate with Thumeka as she, too, has abandoned herself in relationships. 'I can fully relate to what Thumeka is doing for Hlathi. Completely immersing yourself in love and forgetting yourself, forgetting your own identity and being lost in someone else's identity, that's the craziest thing I've ever done. And when you walk out of that relationship, you don't even know yourself anymore, because you've always been this person's person, and you've always seen yourself as this person's person, you don't even recognise yourself when the relationship is over,' she tells us. 'You should never lose yourself in a relationship all because of a man.' Read more | 'It represents healing' - Cici opens up about her new album She says when preparing for the role, she had to see Thumeka through the lens of all women. 'This is a story of so many women. And so, for me, having to remove the judgment from the character, that's first and foremost. I need to play her authentically, and for me to be able to resonate with the part of her, I need to strip away the judgment. And it starts with preparation, as we get the script way in advance.' Read more | Thulisile Phongolo exits Generations: The Legacy... again 'Her story is a representation of how women get immersed in a relationship and lose themselves. You forget your hobbies. You forget what interests you. I don't even remember Thumeka pursuing something that she likes - it's always been about Hlathi. Even now that she's walked away. It challenges one to do some self-introspection and ask themselves, before I get into a relationship, who am I? Am I going to compromise who I am for the sake of this relationship? Because should this not work out, or should it end, who am I outside of this?' she highlights. Read more | 'I've grown so much' - House of Zwide's Nefisa Mkhabela talks industry lessons Zenande believes that women can learn from Thumeka's character. 'When love goes wrong, when the relationship goes wrong, you can still be you. You can still find yourself outside of that because people have free will to walk away from you at any given point, but you need to know you will still be you even without a man or anyone else.' She believes that the acting industry should spend more time seeking talent rather than relevance and that actors should harness their skills instead of seeking fame. 'I think more than anything, sometimes talent is discarded. Not discarded in the sense that people don't see it, but just that they want a quick fix. They don't take the time anymore to go and nurture their talents. I've been in the industry for 18 years i and I still have an acting coach.' ' You learn so much from being part of acting workshops. So, it's going the extra mile for me because there was a point when I was out of work for so long. And I was like, God, if this is not for me anymore, if you don't want me in the acting industry anymore, then take it away. Take the longing to want to act away from me and let me pursue something else. And Thumeka arrived at a time when I was just so desperate to hear from God. And I always say to myself when people criticise your work, don't let it get to your heart, and when they compliment your work, don't let it go to your head, and it always works for me.' Read more | EFF drops gospel artist Betusile Mcinga from 12th anniversary lineup over ANC ties Like many people who are in the public eye, Zenande has had her fair share of harsh criticism from the public. ' The most common misconception about me is that I'm rude, but I'm not. I've learned to grow a thick skin, because if you don't have a thick skin, you'll just deteriorate and you'll end up hanging yourself. Because people sit behind their phones and computer screens, and they say anything and everything about you. You say one little thing, and they blow it out of proportion, and it becomes this whole thing.' 'For as long as I have God by my side, nothing else matters. He's the author and finisher of my story, and no one else but him. I pray a lot about these things, and especially my peace, and I detach myself from anything that'll cost me my peace. I've learned to be very self-aware. If someone does or says something negative, I just block, I don't even reply anymore, because I think my thing in the past was to reply as I felt the need to defend myself, and now, I don't do that anymore.' She says that anyone who is currently facing difficult times should always remember that they can rise again. 'You can rise again. And you will rise again. Nothing can keep you down. If God is not finished with your story, no one else, I mean absolutely no one, can determine your future. Your present, and your future are in God's hands.'
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
‘I died inside': Dawn Thandeka King on infidelity and heartbreak
Dawn was the latest guest on the Showmax talk show 'Untied'. Award-winning actress Dawn Thandeka King has opened up about the pain of betrayal and the strength it took to rebuild her life following her divorce. The Shaka iLembe star was the latest guest on the Showmax talk show Untied, which explores the raw realities of divorce through the voices of well-known South African women. Dawn candidly discussed the alleged infidelity that shook her marriage and how it left her deeply wounded. ALSO READ: Malusi Gigaba's attempt to halt broadcast of ex-wife's explosive episode on 'Untied' fails Dawn Thandeka King on fame, distance and growing apart She said the challenges began when she moved to Durban for her first major television role on Uzalo, leaving her husband and five children behind. 'The distance was the first challenge. And obviously now I'm in this industry, and I'm doing something that I truly love. It's going to show. I'm going to start looking like a happy woman. Not that I wasn't happy before, but something is happening to me that I never actually thought would happen. 'I think we, one, grew apart. And in our growing apart, I had found myself. Perhaps he hadn't found himself… The more I became famous, the more there was a rift — it just pushed us further and further apart,' she said. Dawn said what made it even more painful was the introduction of someone else into the relationship. 'I suppose this is the person he was speaking to about his troubles… He wasn't saying that to me. He was saying it to someone else. I think that killed me. I felt abandoned. 'It went back to the little girl who was not loved, who was looking to be loved. I died inside, and I thought this was it. For it to hurt me this deeply — that I can't see you as you anymore because you're seeing someone else, and now you can't see me as me anymore,' she added. Dawn also spoke about the courage it took to walk away from the relationship — a decision that, she said, marked the beginning of a new chapter filled with personal growth, spiritual discovery, and professional transformation. She said that her spiritual calling and connection to her ancestors guided her through some of her darkest moments. 'Because I then found an agency, and then my agency found me a job — and that was my first acting gig in 2012. I often wonder whether that was the reason I went through this journey that opened that door,' she said. NOW READ: 'Ma, life hasn't been the same without you' — Winnie Khumalo's kids on what would've been her 52nd birthday
The Citizen
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Gigaba set for PhD after airing of ex-wife's explosive tell-all episode on ‘Untied'
UJ is also expected to confer a PhD on fellow politician Mmusi Maimane during the graduation ceremony. Malusi Gigaba is set for a PhD from the University of Johannesburg Picture: Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images Just a week after his ex-wife Norma Mngoma's explosive episode was screened on Showmax's United, Member of Parliament Malusi Gigaba was announced as among the 2 163 graduates at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) winter graduation ceremony. The institution's graduation ceremony is being held between 16-31 July, and Gigaba will be conferred with a PhD. Gigaba holds a Bachelor of Pedagogics in Education from the University of Durban-Westville, where he studied from 1989 to 1990. He obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Social Policy from the same university from 1992 to 1994. He currently serves as the co-chair of the joint standing committee on defence. These ceremonies are specifically for candidates who met the graduation requirements between 1 January and 31 March, 2025. The ceremonies will take place at the UJ Auditorium on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus. UJ is also expected to confer a PhD on fellow politician Mmusi Maimane during the graduation ceremony. ALSO READ: Gigaba's ex-wife on leaked sex video: 'We were blackmailed for almost six months' Norma on marriage to Gigaba Mngoma features on the fourth episode of Untied, a talk show series that unpacks the complex world of divorce through the stories of famous women who have lived it. Untied is hosted by Relebogile Mabotja. Gigaba attempted to halt the airing of the episode by taking the matter to the Johannesburg High Court; however, the court dismissed the bid last week, allowing Showmax to broadcast it. In the episode, Mngoma reflects on their relationship, detailing how it began and how it eventually came to an end. In 2014, after Gigaba's marriage to his ex-wife was finalised, the ANC member and Mngoma tied the knot. Mngoma said the wedding, held at the Durban Botanic Gardens, cost about R6 million to R7 million. She said the wedding and marriage didn't stop Gigaba's alleged mistresses from hassling her. According to Mngoma, it reached the point where Gigaba was allegedly being blackmailed by some of the women. 'Others, they wanted him to cancel the wedding. 'Then I'm gonna tell your wife this and that,' it was just a lot. He made me believe that these things were not true and not existing.' Mngoma alleged that during this time, Gigaba was more focused on keeping a 'clean' public image of the couple. 'In the beginning, he never paid so much attention to fixing things in the house. He was more of how the public sees him… and then he's posting me,' she said. Mngoma alleged that Gigaba would make up excuses not to attend therapy sessions he initiated. She recalled that at one point, Gigaba accused a therapist, who is white, of being racist. 'Or sometimes he will say 'no, the therapist is DA'. He used to have a reason why he's not continuing, and I will find another one,' Mngoma said. 'He was more focused on fixing the [public] image… us, the Gigabytes. And then he's posting me writing long captions, and people are clapping for him, how much he loves so loud.' NOW READ: 'It's important for women to have these conversations': Sonia opens up about marriage to Matthew Booth
IOL News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
The scandalous scoop: why Mzansi was eager for Norma Mngoma's tell-all on 'Untied'
Norma Mngoma spilled the tea on her marriage to Malusi Gigaba on 'Untied'. Image: Supplied Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, such as Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Aniston, who have demonstrably moved on from their divorces, many high-profile personalities in Mzansi are still navigating their healing journeys. This couldn't be more apparent than on 'Untied', a Showmax talk show where the well-known guests share their no-holds-barred take on marriage and divorce. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ With Relebogile Mabotja tactfully broaching issues that audiences want answered, she does a sterling job in celebrating her guests while empathising with them too. Of course, some of the scandals made headlines, too, while others were kept low-key. I watched episode one with Nonku Williams, who unpacked her tumultuous marriage before her rise to fame on 'The Real Housewives of Durban'. And who could forget the 'cheesecake saga' between Sonia and Matthew Booth that turned the country into zealous spectators, watching the drama play out in headlines and on social media. Everyone wanted to hear more straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. And it's been the same curiosity that surrounded Norma Mngoma's couch session, more so after her ex, Malusi Gigaba, the former beleaguered Minister of Home Affairs, sought a court interdict to stop the episode from airing. On Wednesday, Mzansi tuned in for the skinny on their relationship. Mngoma claimed to be a woman in her own right, highlighting her successes when they met. While she admitted to liking nice things, as flagged by the soft life she led during her marriage, she alluded to being able to afford them, too. On her being identified as 'the other woman' before she tied the knot with Gigaba, she claimed not to know he was still legally married when they first met. She made it clear she wasn't the reason for his previous marriage ending. The businesswoman admitted to getting a call from Gigaba's then-wife, though. During her marriage, where they shared two children, Mngoma noted that there were red flags, as various women informed her of her husband's infidelity. His Diddy-esque move of taking baby oil on his travels also didn't sit well with her. There was also talk of his alleged porn addiction, unresolved daddy issues, gaslighting and more. Yes, every story has two sides. She disclosed what she could, careful not to prejudice their ongoing legal matters. Mngoma was given a platform to tell her side and, in doing so, delivered a cautionary tale for many others, which is the objective of the show. 'Untied' is about sharing, without judgment, and finding solidarity among other women. And the upcoming guests - Beverly Steyn, Dawn Thandeka King, Mona Monyane, Palesa Madisakwane and Zandi Nhlapo - promise to share more nuggets of wisdom from their healing journeys.
