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Celeb scandals that rocked 2012

Johannesburg - Celebville shenanigans dominated not only social networks in 2012, but our conversations around the dinner table and the water cooler.

Some left us shocked, others caused fights between fans and others turned darlings into vilified persona non grata.

We pick the stories that easily became 2012’s biggest scandals and break-ups.

Break-ups

» Uyanda and Sisa Mbuli: Fallen socialite Uyanda Mbuli was probably too busy posing for the cameras to see her husband of 10 years was about to walk out.

But like seasoned tabloid darlings before her, she didn’t get mad; she got even. Or, at least, she tried.

Mbuli filed a maintenance claim demanding a staggering R119 000 a month – R86 000 for spousal maintenance, R23 000 for monthly expenses and the other R10 000 for their son, Landa.

What raised eyebrows was the monthly R4 800 demand for weave maintenance, R2 000 for her cellphone, and R1 200 for her manicure and pedicure treatments.

However, when presiding Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane was done with her, Mbuli had only managed to bag R7 500 per month from her estranged husband.

Since then, her designer store in Rosebank has shut down, she’s been spotted wearing braids instead of weaves and she hardly makes it to events any more.

» Bonang Matheba and Euphonik (Themba Nkosi): These two became our very own Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Their secret relationship took a nose dive when she apparently found head wraps under the bed and unfamiliar weave strands on her pillow.

This was quickly followed by allegations of domestic violence and then the court appearances.

In May, Matheba, 25, filed charges against Nkosi, 28.

He appeared at the Randburg Magistrates' Court on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, domestic violence and malicious damage to property.

Matheba then dropped the charges, with rumours that they were back together swirling about.

The jury is still out on that.

» Jeannie D and Jon Firth: The popular Top Billing presenter with the megawatt smile got engaged to businessman Firth.

When the two announced their wedding date earlier this year, celebville envisioned a reality TV type of dream wedding.

However, that dream turned to ash when Jeannie D called it quits, claiming: "I don't believe in divorce and I felt maybe that's the way things would have ended up."

» Oscar Pistorius and Samantha Taylor: First they were seen on Top Billing, frolicking in the Seychelles.

Barely a month later, he walked the red carpet of the SA Sports Awards with another woman on his arm.

South Africa's golden boy then earned his first "player" points when Taylor revealed that the woman on his arm, FHM model Reeva Steenkamp, had been stalking them and was the cause of their break-up.

Pistorius shot back, saying Taylor cheated on him with Clifton Shores producer Quinton van der Burgh.

The former couple then got into a war of words on Twitter that eventually fizzled out.

Scandals

» Tina and Prosper Mkwaia: The tabloid-hogging couple can never seem to catch a break when it comes to making good headlines.

Last month, the two claimed to have been held hostage in their Morula Sun Casino hotel room in Mapobane near Pretoria.

They said the gunman demanded the couple have sex, then shot them in the legs when they refused.

Last week, Tina was reported in a tabloid alleging Prosper was behind the whole thing.

This couple needs to grow up already!

» Lorna Maseko and Katlego Maboe: When a married woman is bust sharing a drunken snog with another man, she's bound for trouble.

Luckily for Maseko, she has an understanding husband, who was reported to have forgiven his Top Billing presenter wife for her tongue wrestling with Maboe at the Durban July.

» McIntosh Polela and his baby mama: The Hawks' suspended spokesperson is still losing when it comes to tweeting.

In September, his dirty laundry came tumbling out of the closet on 702's Talk At Nine, hosted by Eusebius McKaiser.

What was meant to be a payment clarification on his child maintenance turned into an episode of the Jerry Springer Show when his baby mama – known only as Mpho – called in live on air.

In his defence, Polela said: "It's an orgy of voyeurism. I am only human. Sometimes you do fall short in a month."

Mpho then responded: "You say that every time."

Polela's woes are said to have started after he tweeted about buying a new Jeep, something that did not sit well with Mpho.

Let's hope the hot-headed Polela has learned a thing or two on what not to tweet – especially after being suspended for his ill-advised Vaseline Twitter advice for Jub Jub.

» Sophie Ndaba and Bishop Keith Harrington: Last December, the Generations star tied the knot with the unknown Bishop in a surprise wedding.

But their matrimonial bliss lasted only two months, when Harrington was exposed to be holding the popular actress hostage and threatening to shoot her at his Mpumalanga home.

In March, his clerical credentials came into question, then in August his supposed former lover, Ruth Mazibuko, revealed they were still seeing each other while Harrington was arranging a meeting with high priests to solve his marriage dilemmas.

» Minenhle Dlamini vs Boitumelo Thulo: Friendships expire quickly in celebville.

Thulo thrashed former pal Dlamini in a Bona magazine interview earlier this year, saying: "Minnie gets all the breaks."

She claimed Dlamini's connections had got her shoo-in roles in soapies Generations and The Wild. Needless to say, the friendship ended pretty quickly after that.

Things didn't get any better for Thulo, whose name created a Twitter frenzy when it was claimed she'd been caught having sex in a car outside a popular Sandton nightclub.

Let's hope her 2013 looks brighter.

» Melinda Bam vs conformity:
This year also gave South Africa a feisty pageant queen who wasn't willing to act prim and proper.

Bam revealed she was dumping the Miss World pageant in favour of the more glamorous Miss Universe – and that she wanted a boob job to enhance her chances of winning.

Of course, we all now know how that panned out for her.

Rumour also has it Bam turned down her Foschini clothing sponsorship and approached Forever New to dress her for occasions, claiming the former was not worthy.

Now she is starting her own clothing label, Bamshell.

Even though she has relinquished the crown, this unconventional beauty queen is clearly not about to disappear from our radar next year.

Watch this space.

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