Twitter fury over Kelly

Harrowing new pictures of a beaten and bloodied singer Kelly Khumalo caused a stir on Twitter yesterday.

Khumalo said recently she was abused by Molemo Maarohanye, better known in the music industry as Jub Jub.

Drum magazine, which is running a cover story on Khumalo this week, has published pictures showing the extent of the alleged abuse.

Khumalo, 29, who has been to many court appearances with Jub Jub (accused of killing four schoolboys in a drag race in Soweto in March last year), sent pictures of her bust lip and bruised nose after one of their rows to the Sunday World a week earlier.

In Drum magazine, Khumalo sports a bleeding gash below her left eye.

The latest pictures are similar to leaked pictures of badly bruised American pop star Rihanna, beaten up in 2009 by then boyfriend Chris Brown.

In the Drum cover story interview, Khumalo's story differs from the one she told that magazine only two months earlier, when she said she would be sticking by Maarohanye despite the outcry after the accident.

But a now shaven-headed Khumalo - she evidently shaved to signify a fresh start - said she suffered more than she admitted in public appearances with him.

She said they would have had another baby before one-year-old Christian had it not been for a miscarriage she suffered in 2009. "Molemo is to blame. He caused me so much stress with his cheating."

The Qinisela singer told Drum she aimed to get a restraining order against her baby's father rather than charges.

"These were the repercussions of the accident. One minute Molemo would be sweet and the next he was a complete stranger. He's so angry . so, so angry."

But if Twitter is anything to go by, Khumalo is a polarising figure, provoking a variety of reactions.

Nolo Malothane tweeted: "Just read Kelly Khumalo's @drummagazine. I'm proud of her."

Another user tweeting as ShopriteSunday said: "Well Kelly Khumalo, since your dreams didn't come true eGoli [in Johannesburg], your post at Shoprite KwaNongoma [in rural KwaZulu-Natal] is still vacant."

Melissa Fredericks asked: "Why do some men cheat and beat women? After Kelly supported him."

Siyanda Gcuku said she was an attention-seeker. Miranda Ngubeni said the entire story was a lie. Another user, called Sleepeaches, said she "asked for it" by sticking with a man who would not marry her.

But Koyo Bala, of music group 3Sum, preferred to comment on the pleasing appearance of Khumalo's dress in inside photos.

Khumalo told the magazine she was looking to get a tattoo of Maarohanye's name removed from her shoulder and might go back to recording.

Maarohanye said he didn't want to speak about Khumalo or any other woman and will only comment "when the time is right".