Unathi Nkayi, a South African singer, actor, and radio personality, recently spoke out about the termination of her friendship with Somizi Mhlongo, claiming the reality TV star pursued her ex-husband over her.
Nkayi also blamed Somizi for her Idols not getting renewed.According to Nkayi, her departure from the show was influenced by Mhlongo, a former colleague and friend who had stepped down from the show due to abuse claims against him.
In a recent episode of Podcast and Chill with MacG, the musician stated that she had taken a firm stance against abuse.
Mhlongo, who was also a judge on the show, resigned amid the outcry over the allegations. During his absence, the show featured weekly guest judges who would step in for him until he returned.
However, once Mhlongo’s legal difficulties subsided, speculation regarding his comeback to Idols emerged.
According to Nkayi, the show approached him about returning, and he was offered the opportunity to choose his own terms. One of those conditions, she claims, was her removal from the show.
‘I knew it was coming since Somizi was returning; I knew he wouldn’t want to work with me given the attitude I took,’ she explained.
She went on to say that she does not defend sexual criminals, citing Mhlongo’s 2008 conviction.
Somizi and Unathi were close friends and coworkers for many years, but their relationship deteriorated following Unathi’s divorce from Thomas Msengana, with whom she had been married for 13 years.
According to Unathi, Somizi, who was a common friend of her and Thomas, chose to support Thomas during and after the divorce.
“Somizi and I are no longer friends because he chose Thomas’ side, and I have no issue with him,” she remarked on a recent episode of Podcast and Chill with MacG.
Unathi stated that she watched Somizi distance himself.
“He stopped texting and calling me, started going on boys’ holidays with Thomas, and even said weird things about me on his reality show,” she told me.
Her family saw the difference and told her to accept it and go on.
The animosity between them rose in 2021, when Somizi was accused of sexually abusing his then-partner, Mohale Motaung, causing a sensation online. Around the same time, R. Kelly was convicted on several counts of child sexual assault.
Unathi expressed relief on Instagram after R. Kelly was eventually convicted, prompting some to question why she did not support Somizi.
“People asked why I did not support Somizi. “He is not my friend, and I do not support sex offenders,” she stated, citing Mhlongo’s conviction in 2008.
Unathi stated that she learned from the media that neither her nor Randall Abrahams’ contracts had been renewed, and she feels Somizi’s return to the show influenced this decision.
“I saw that Somizi was coming back for the final season, and I knew he would never want to work with me after the stance I took,” she told reporters.
Unathi alleges that Somizi had a big influence on the show, to the point where he demanded her removal as a condition for his return.
“The show took a gamble on losing viewers by not renewing my contract to meet Somizi’s demands,” she said, ironically adding that the show did lose viewers in the last season.
