• Some quit social media in protest, others hit back, while at least one played along
Image: Courtesy
Being a celebrity means exposing your life to public scrutiny. Some public figures found out the hard way in 2020 the perils of social media and netizens' love of trolling. Below is a sample.
MULAMWAH
David Oyando, alias Kendrick Mulamwah, announced he had quit comedy after facing cyber bulling. He burnt his signature shirt that he used in his comic videos and wrote a farewell on Instagram.
“What was to make me happy makes me sadder, more enemies than friends, too much negativity, trolls. I wasn’t here for fame and bad blood but fun," he wrote.
"To those who always wished the worst for me, I hope y’all happy now, the stage is all yours.”
At the time, he revealed that he and his girlfriend at the time Carol Sonnie had lost their unborn child, which also contributed to his depression.
"My prayer is that no one else goes through the same again. I once posted Carrol Sonie while in a hospital bed. We had just lost our baby at three months following stress after being trolled online."
The two have since broken up after irreconcilable differences.
After being encouraged by his fellow celebrities, Mulamwah came back to the comedy industry, saying he had let down people who were looking up to him.
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make at all, especially at this point in my life. It has been a tough year already for me, and for both of us, too, almost losing everything. But all this happening now has been synergised and augmented by the recent ‘anthology’ of events best known to us,” read his break-up message on Instagram.
At the time, many sympathised with him, but not Kiss FM presenter Kamene Goro, who had allegedly been cyberbullied by the comedian.
“Mulamwah bullied me online. So I posted a picture with Ronoh and we were sitting at the swimming pool rooftop at my place,” Kamene said. “He comes to the comment section and said if the two of us get into the pool, all the water pours out.” He later apologised to the radio personality
DJ MO
DJ Mo trended for days and was labelled a disgrace after he allegedly cheated on his wife Size 8. When he came out to apologise, Netizens were quick to ask Size 8 not to go back to him.
The couple celebrated their seventh year anniversary and even as 2020 wound down, Mo was being made fun of as one of the people who gave people something to talk about during quarantine.
BETTY KYALLO
Even when she is silent, this former news anchor made headlines after being rumoured to have travelled to Dubai with a politician she has been linked with in the past. Betty came out to deny the rumours as social media in-laws shared a photo of the media personality holding a similar handbag to that in the politician's private jet.
The bag was later rumoured to be that of a popular influencer but it turned out it was for one of the staff in the jet.
The year also saw her being clothed by netizens after sharing bikini photos by the swimming pool, and she was going with the flow since she posted some of those memes.
Image: Courtesy
ZARI HASSAN
The socialite visited her baby daddy Diamond Platnumz late this year with her children Princess Tiffah and Prince Nilan. That is when Mama Dangote, Diamond's mother, noticed she had added some weight, which she explained was due to eating in lockdown.
A few days after leaving Tanzania to South Africa, online users noticed she had shared a photo looking a little slimmer. She explained she had lost weight in less than 10 days.
“Cleansing has been working for me. I'm not eating proper meals. I'm just eating leafy things. If you think I'm out here editing my picture with my Bentley, honey, you are wrong!”
Image: Courtesy
WILLY PAUL
Fans are now used to his stunts, but critics keep coming for Pozze for his secular music. The once-gospel singer recently shaded his fellow artistes for not supporting his album, 'Songs Of Solomon'.
“If you do something nice while alive, they ignore you. When you die, they'll post and start saying you were a very talented young man. If I die, don't come to my funeral or I will resurrect and squeeze your ba**s.”
RINGTONE
Self-proclaimed chairman of the gospel music industry, Alex Apoko alias Ringtone, has been calling out different celebrities for their lifestyles. It is evident that he doesn't like Bahati and Willy Paul, as he keeps on coming for them on social media.
He recently went viral after allegedly hosting a sex party in his Runda home, claims he denied in an exclusive phone interview with Word Is.
“I’m a man of God and God-fearing. I can only say I have done parties at my place, I’m blessed with a big garden, it is an acre, they borrow the garden, I don’t charge. I close my house, they do the parties in my garden. I don’t know that I have ever hosted a sex party.”
Image: COURTESY
CORAZON KWAMBOKA
She was labelled a boyfriend snatcher by some social media users. This is after being revealed as Frankie Kiarie's girlfriend after Maureen Waititu. Frankie then clarified to his fans that he started dating Kwamboka after officially breaking up with Maureen.
Corazon was also criticised after she went on an Instagram Live to defend her boo, Frankie, when he and his other baby mama Maureen were having an online fight over child support.