Grammy Award-winning rapper, Doja Cat, has heavily criticised her South African father, actor Dumisani Dlamini, labelling him a ‘deadbeat’. The “Say So” and “Demons” hitmaker recently took to social media with a direct message aimed at her father.
In a one-line update to her X profile bio, Doja Cat didn’t hold back, implying a tense relationship with her father.
“My dad’s a deadbeat, but I did well,” the pinned message reads. This isn’t the first time Doja Cat’s relationship with her father has sparked public attention.
Hints of a strained bond have surfaced before, suggesting a more extended history to this recent social media outburst.
The American singer, whose real name is Zandile Dlamini, has never been shy about the complexities of her family life. In a past interview on Apple Music 1, Doja Cat directly addressed her father’s absence in her life.
“No, I’ve never met my dad,” when the host, Ebro Darden, asked. During the same interview, Doja Cat remained tight-lipped about a potential visit to South Africa, her father’s home country.
WILL DOJA CAT VISIT SOUTH AFRICA?
When Ebro asked if she’d ever been or planned to go, she said: “I still haven’t [been]. I rely on my career to just throw me out to places. I don’t find pockets of time in my life. I can fly, but I don’t like flying, especially long flights like that.”
Dlamini, a respected actor, has graced the screens of popular shows like Isibaya and Yizo Yizo. But his career stretches beyond local fame as he even appeared in the Broadway production of Sarafina! back in the late 80s. Following the success of Sarafina in the late 1980s, Dlamini chose to stay in America.
There, he started a family with a Jewish-American woman and had two children, one of whom was Doja Cat. However, after 15 years, Dlamini returned to South Africa, hoping to bring his family back.
While unsuccessful in reuniting his family, he claims to have maintained contact with his children. Years ago, when meeting actress Whoopi Goldberg, a star in Sarafina, Doja mentioned her father was also part of the cast. This sparked a surprising exchange between the two.
“I’m just thinking about my dad because he was in Sarafina, so seeing and meeting you is crazy,” said Doja in a chat with Goldberg, who asked her dad’s name. When Doja told her, Goldberg was shocked. “Get out of here…a good man, really a good man,” said Goldberg.
While Doja Cat has publicly been critical of her father, Dlamini has shown some support online. He occasionally shares videos of his daughter’s achievements on his Instagram page.
However, the situation seems more complex. In a 2020 interview with SA radio station Metro FM, Dlamini claimed he’d been trying to connect with Doja Cat for years but faced obstacles preventing a reunion.
“I have tried to search for my baby, but the company that runs her entertainment has been blocking me,” he said. “They know that if I could get hold of her, maybe she would disappear from the picture. I know my daughter, wherever she is, is looking for me.”
Doja Cat is riding high on a wave of success. The acclaimed artist recently scored multiple nominations at the prestigious 2024 BET Awards. The rapper, singer, and songwriter is in the running for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, and her video, “Agora Hills”, has been nominated for both Video of the Year and Viewer’s Choice Award.
