Why some celebs find the need to flash money

Songbird Lira looking simple
and elegant at the metro
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In life you find two types of celebrities: those like Lira and Patrice Motsepe who are down to earth, humble and don’t feel the need to flash their money in front of others and then you have your Khanyi Mbau’s and Kenny Kunene’s who spend money recklessly.

Khanyi Mbau who was married to the former millionaire, Mandla Mthembu, who is now in debt, had the “I don’t care” attitude when she spent money. In an interview with Drum magazine, she proudly told the journalist that her 3year old daughter wears designer clothes all the way from the USA. Mbau, who you’d find in the social pages every week had a young child at home but that did not stop her from partying every weekend.

Queen of bling, Khanyi Mbau
 sizzles at Kenny Kunene's
birthday bash

The “Queen of Bling” as she called herself and was known by fans all over the country because of her expensive diamond jewellery she wore on a regular basis. Khanyi Mbau was not afraid to admit that she spent R50 000 on a weave (and then one would ask themselves, what kind of weave is that that?). Now all this money she spent was that of her 50year old husband (when they started dating and she was only 21 when she got married to him).

Khanyi Mbau at the Metro
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Today she and Mandla are divorced and he was in debt when they got divorced and she has since gone a little quiet, she’s no longer on every social page of every week. Is this because her current boyfriend is not a millionaire or has she learnt to respect money and herself more? Well, only she can answer that question.

Now what kind of messages was she sending to young females out there? That it’s alright to date a man who is old enough to be your father and spend money and flash it in the faces of those who are poor???

Mike Tyson tells it all in his one-man theatre production show

He is a father who breeds and raises pigeons; he is a fallen hero; he has a wild side; he served time in jail; his struggle with drug addiction and finally beating his addiction. He was also starred in the movie 'The Hangover' and 'The Hangover Part II', playing the part of the ever controversial Mike Tyson.

Mike knocking off an opponent
during a tournament

Now his debut for his one man show "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" in Las Vegas was last week Saturday, 14 April at the Hollywood Theatre, many wanted to see this as a "rise from the ashes" type of episode, while some were interested in seeing him reveal more of his dark side that has been controlling him for such a long time.

The show has been reviewed as a work in progress. The fact that he took a chance and was willing to stand and face an audience on his own just shows the amount of calibre he has. A critic said: "I would have liked to have seen a script in which Tyson knocks out his personal demons with the same voracity as he once punched opponents in the ring, instead of playing the role of a pathetic figure who bad-mouths women and blames the refs and just about anyone for what he has lost.

Mike's love for breeding and raising
 pigeons

Another critic said: "And then there's the elephant in the room. Tyson's voice, a cheap laugh for any comedy impression, it sometimes gets in the way of a strong moment here, when the champ bites into poetic phrases such as "my dark dreams and shadows," or calling his beloved trainer Cus D'Amato "a master of psychological warfare, a grand manipulator. He is more comfortable saying "I wouldn't wash my ass for days." or "I would hunger for glory like a mad dog."

Mike looking very fierce just after
a tournament ended.

Now with hardcore critics like these, does it mean that Mike bit off more than he can chew? These were really tough critics for a first show. Will he be able to stand the critics like a man and continue with the show or will he just give up??? We'll just have to wait and see.

I had it all - Vinolia Mashego



Vinolia back in the days

From top television personality, to begging for food and train fare at a train station…how did this all come about? She rose to high and fell to low. 11 years after she left Jam Alley, she still has industry greats thinking she can rise again.

Vinolia Mashego started out as an actress on the famous local soapie, Generations. She was also a presenter on the SABC 1’s famous variety show, Jam Alley. She was famously known for her bubbly and fun personality. Now today she is known for being broke and being unruly. Last year June it was reported that the former TV presenter was renting a room and only had a mattress with one blanket and things took a turn for the worst. It was also reported that she was begging for food and train fare, and was on a train from Nelspruit to Johannesburg when she was caught without a valid ticket by security guards. The guards kindly helped her raise money for a valid ticket and while they were doing so, another by-stander offered to buy her coffee and something to eat and she kindly accepted it.

 V-Mash, as she was affectionately known by her fans, is now a sad version of her former bubbly self. During her days when she was still living the high life, she stayed in the Pretoria Suburbs. She would take a flight from Johannesburg to Durban just to have a meal at one of the expensive restaurants/hotels. Before she started on Generations, she used to appear on local dramas on SABC 2. Her father (Collins Mashego), was also a presenter on SABC 1, he was known for the LAPOLOGA show in the early 1980’s.

She was fired from the popular television youth programme, Jam Alley for her “unruly” behaviour. Her departure sent shock waves through the industry and the departure was caused by her raunchy and wayward behaviour, which attracted bad publicity. V-Mash, who had a 14-month-old baby and was expecting another, was without an income since. With her reputation and controversial lifestyle, Jam Alley was her last public platform on television.

Down, out and broke!!!

Among other things which brought about Mashego’s downfall was her arrest a few weeks before her dismissal from Jam Alley for walking around naked and cursing everyone in sight at a block of flats in Pretoria’s Sunnyside suburb. V-Mash also raised a storm at a beauty pageant in Durban when she flashed her silver panties at the audience.

This a lesson which we all should learn: today you may have all you want (the life, the money, the friends, etc.), but always keep in mind that it can end at any moment so you must be careful how you live your life and always plan for the future/have a plan B to fall back on in case things don’t go so well with plan A. In this case, V-Mash did not handle her money well and now she’s down in the dumpster, broke!

Now does this phoenix still have what it takes to rise from the ashes? Only time will tell…