The Harsh Reality of Struggling Zimbabwe Celebrities

The Harsh Reality of Struggling Zimbabwe Celebrities. The rich and famous are what we might consider celebrities, and the funny part is that we have famous people who are not rich, some of whom are actually struggling to make ends meet. In Zimbabwe, it is very common to meet a celebrity who is in deep debt and whose life is hanging by a thread, financially.

During the COVID times, some people that we might regard as celebs were actually looking for donations so that they could put food on the table. These were usually singers. I have always wondered what happens when they release albums or go to shows—is it because there is some financial mismanagement or because the industry is not as lucrative as we might think?

It is common to have celebs who rose to fame from nothing and became millionaires or even billionaires; the opposite is also possible, from hero to zero. This has happened to musicians, actors, athletes, and even models. As long as they are not wise enough to know how to handle their finances, they are bound to go broke one way or another.

The Harsh Reality of Struggling Zimbabwe Celebrities

In Zimbabwe, we have musicians like Dobba Don, popularly known for his hit song Mudendere. As of this day, he is homeless and is believed to be suffering from drug abuse. The ZimDancehall artist is being seen in the streets of a high-density suburb called Mufakose.

The same goes for Sungura hitmaker Paradzai Messi; he is said to have been leaving on someone else’s farm in the compounds, and he is said to have a drinking problem that he is certainly finding difficult to control.

This is not only in the music industry; even actors in popular dramas like Studio 263 died without a penny to show for the acting that they were so good at. One of the reasons these talented musicians go back to being poor is because when they make huge sums of money, they go on a spending spree.

A couple of thousand dollars can be spent on a few not-so-important things like clothes and partying. Most of them are not fortunate enough to have someone who will guide them financially. Those few close friends might “help” them spend the money.

These celebrities forget how much easier it is to go back to dust than it is to rise from the dust. Even in South Africa, actors like Tina Mnumzana, a poet and actress who starred in soap operas like Isiding, Scandal, and many others, In 2015, she lost her house due to her failure to pay for rentals.

Celebrity life is obviously not as glamorous as it sounds and looks. Behind those red carpet dresses and suits there is a life that that celebrity might be battling; some have failed marriages, some are battling depression or even terminal illnesses, and yet fans only see an untouchable actor, singer, or footballer.

Some celebrities, like the musicians Adele and Sia, have said that they never wanted to be famous because of the burden that comes with it. A celebrity is expected to be invincible, good-looking, or good at what they do, and if they fail, they face the consequences of hate from their fans, yet they are just normal people with everyday needs.

A deep look into the celebrity life will make you understand that celebrities do not have a perfect life; their lives can be as miserable as the rest of us.