‘The media wasn’t after me’ – Leleti Khumalo on her failed marriage with Mbongeni Ngema [watch]

Seasoned actress Leleti Khumalo is topping trends in the backdrop of her ex-husband’s death. Khumalo was once married to award-winning composer, choreographer and playwright Mbongeni Ngema.

Ngema died on 27 December 2023 after being involved in a car crash on the R61 road between Mbizana and Magusheni in the Eastern Cape. The police have it that the cause of the crash is unclear.

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LELETI KHUMALO OPENS UP ABOUT HER FAILED MARRIAGE WITH MBONGENI NGEMA

No doubt, despite her fame, Khumalo has kept her private life under wraps, leaving many to guess. Over the years, Mbongeni Ngema has been credited for thrusting several stars like Leleti Khumalo into the limelight through the award-winning film Sarafina!

However, a few years later, she tied the knot with Ngema despite being 15 years younger than him. After 14 years, Leleti Khumalo called it quits.

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In several interviews, Leleti Khumalo has opened up about her failed marriage with the late playwright. However, her 2014 candid interview on ‘The Close Up’ has resurfaced online.

During the interview, the seasoned actress dived into their marriage.

“I would portray that I am happy, living happily and yet I’m living a disgusting and strange life. The media wasn’t after me because I was a very private person; they could not see that I was living a false life,” she said.

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However, many were puzzled to learn that the playwright was married when the two started dating.

“I kind of had a problem with that, I even asked him, and he said he still wants to make me his wife. I continued still because I wanted to.On the day of the wedding day the wife tried to stop the ceremony,” Khumalo said.

ALLEGED ABUSE, DIVORCE AND MORE

In the interview, Leleti Khumalo also revealed that she was unhappy and not allowed to star in several plays.

“I wasn’t living a normal life. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere I wanted to. Honestly, I wanted to do different plays, but it wasn’t possible. I don’t know if I could say he was jealous of me, I don’t know,” added Leleti Khumalo..

“I woke up one morning, I don’t know what sparked it, I released a statement that we were divorcing,” the seasoned actress revealed.

ALSO READ: Renowned ‘Sarafina’ musical creator Mbongeni Ngema dies in car crash

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