e.tv slams reports that Hungani Ndlovu left 'Scandal!' due to 'bad behaviour'

e.tv has finally decided to be straight with Scandal! fans about the fate of firm favourite Hungani Ndlovu's departure from the show, by confirming that he's asked to take a break and slamming speculation that he was fired.

This after the channel noted with concern “the circulation of misleading media reports about the reasons for Hungani Ndlovu's temporary exit from popular daily drama Scandal!”.

The channel, together with Ochre Media, released a statement on Thursday afternoon hitting back at claims that Hungani was fired for bad behaviour, or that his character, Romeo, had been killed off.

“The factual reason for his temporary absence is that the actor requested to go on leave,” read the statement.

In the statement, Scandal! producers Sanele Zulu, Grace Mahlaba and Ilse van Hemert expressed their appreciation for Hungani's time on the show.

“We, as the producers of Scandal! have the highest regard for Hungani's professionalism and humility as an artist. He has always behaved with the utmost respect towards his employers and colleagues. The character of Romeo is adored by viewers and the Scandal team alike, and we would love to create stories with him for as long as possible.” 

After Hungani's departure hogged headlines earlier this month, e.tv played coy about the future of his character.

Responding to questions from TshisaLIVE about the fate of Romeo, e.tv head of local productions Helga Palmer said Romeo was an important part of the daily drama.

“Romeo Medupe continues to be an integral part of the Scandal! storyline and will appear on our screens for some time,” said Helga.

Back in August, Scandal! also rubbished claims that Hungani had been fired amid complaints about his work ethic.

“There’s a published article circulating around that Hungani is leaving the show. As Scandal!, we’re disputing every allegation stated in the article. Hungani has not been fired by the production,” a statement on the production's social media pages read.

The star has been captivating audiences with his role for more than four years.