Lady Zamar Has Opened Up About Being Abused in a Past Relationship
The South African singer-songwriter recently spoke out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of a fellow artist she was dating.
Courtesy of Universal Studios.
Yesterday, one of South Africa's biggest house singer-songwriters, Lady Zamar, took to social media to share her experiences with gender-based violence at the hands of her previous partner. While she didn't name drop, it is alleged that she was referring to hip-hop artist and rapper Sjava with whom she was in a relationship a few months ago. However, the relationship (which the two had kept under wraps and out of the public eye) imploded when Lady Zamar was made aware of Sjava's marital status.
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In a thread she posted on Twitter, Lady Zamar spoke about how she was emotionally, physically and sexually abused and how she had struggled to come to terms with the fact that it had happened to her. She addressed the endless speculation made by the tabloids as to why the couple had broken up and pointedly told them, "Shame on you". Adding that, "Some people won't believe me...I'm not asking for anyone to believe me," she said that she needed to share her truth and put an end to all the "articles, speculation and articles that don't concern [her]".
The news has divided South Africans. As has been the case with women who've participated in movements such as #MenAreTrash, #AmINext and #MeToo, some South Africans feel Lady Zamar simply wants to "discredit" Sjava and have asked why she's only speaking up now. Just this past weekend, Sjava's "One Night with Sjava'' live show had many in their feels after he not only paid homage to both his mother and grandmother but shared a tribute for victims of gender-based violence.
However, others have shown their support for Lady Zamar by saying that they believe her especially in a country that has a longstanding problem with femicide, gender-based violence and rape.