In an unexpected twist, American singer and rapper Doja Cat, born Zandile Dlamini, has caused a social media uproar with blunt remarks about her father, South African actor Dumisani Dlamini. Known for his performances in “Sarafina!” and “Yizo Yizo,” Dumisani has been publicly denounced as a “deadbeat” by his famous daughter.
The controversy began a week ago when Doja Cat updated her bio on X (formerly Twitter) to declare, “My dad’s a deadbeat but I did well.” This sparked initial reactions, but yesterday’s Instagram posts took the feud to another level. Doja Cat posted: “Dad, lemme know when/if you need me to re-up your makeup cabinet cuz you a b*tch.” She didn’t stop there, tagging her father directly and sarcastically offering an array of high-end makeup brands, stating, “Dumisani Dlamini, I got Urban Decay, I got Pat McGrath Labs, I got Fenty, I got Scott Barnes, let me know. I got your back sis.”
The bold statements drew mixed reactions from her followers. One warned her about the repercussions, saying, “You are messing with a wrong one, Zulus don’t play…your ancestors will humble [you].” Doja Cat, unfazed, retorted, “Go give the deadbeat a kiss on the lips for me.” Another follower found humour in the situation, commenting, “That’s so disrespectful….. do it again..” to which Doja Cat responded, “Gave me a lazy eye and dipped,” indicating her father’s absence during her upbringing.
Despite the fierce words, Doja Cat later posted a somewhat peacemaking message, captioning a new Instagram photo with, “jk love you i was mad.” This left fans puzzled about the true state of their relationship.
The backlash against Dumisani was swift. On X, one user commented, “He must swallow his pride and go fix things with his daughter.” Another criticised him, saying, “Dude bragging about being a deadbeat.” The sentiment echoed with another tweet, “Shem, must be painful watching the child u ran away from being successful and refuse to be associated with anything that has to do with u.”
This public family drama highlights the complicated and often painful dynamics between estranged family members, particularly when played out in the unforgiving arena of social media. As the dust settles, fans are left wondering whether this public spat will lead to reconciliation or further estrangement.
