‘God bless you all’ — Dumisani Dlamini thanks fans for supporting estranged daughter Doja Cat

06 April 2022 - 08:01
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Rapper Doja Cat is the daughter of SA actor Dumisani Dlamini.
Rapper Doja Cat is the daughter of SA actor Dumisani Dlamini.
Image: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

South African actor Dumisani Dlamini took to social media to congratulate his estranged daughter, US rapper Doja Cat, on her Grammy Award win.

The rapper, real name Zandile Dlamini, won the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category with SZA for their track Kiss Me More

Dlamini, famous for his roles in The Wife, Yizo Yizo and Sarafina!, boasted about his daughter's achievement in a now-deleted Instagram post, thanking Doja Cat's fans for their support.

“Just wanted to thank everyone who supported my child, Zandile. God bless you all".

Dlamini, famous for his roles in The Wife, Yizo Yizo and Sarafina!, boasted about his daughter's achievement in a now-deleted Instagram post, thanking Doja Cat's fans for their support.

“Just wanted to thank everyone who supported my child, Zandile. God bless you all".

Users flooded the post, questioning his relationship with his daughter.

Doja Cat opened up about her estranged relationship with Dumisani during a chat with US talk show host and actor Whoopi Goldberg.

Doja told Whoopi, who acted with her father in Sarafina!, that she had never met him.

Whoopi described Dumisani as “a good man". The rapper responded; "Yeah, isn’t that crazy? I didn’t get to meet him but you did.” 

In response to that clip, Dumisani told Metro FM he had been looking for his daughter.

He said he was sure the rapper was also looking for him and claimed her management had “blocked” his efforts to reach out to her. 

He later said his daughter had spoken to him before becoming famous, and suggested her claims to Whoopi may have been “a made-up thing”.

The rapper told Radio One D.C in 2019 that she last spoke to her father when she was 13 years old. She said he used to comment on her pictures on Instagram and said she'd be open to meeting him.

In 2017 Dumisani told TshisaLIVE that after the Sarafina! tour wrapped up he decided to stay in America and fell in love with a Jewish-American woman. They started a family and had two kids, one of them being Doja Cat.

He felt homesick after 15 years and returned to SA. He said his plans to bring his family with him were unsuccessful although he maintained contact with his children. 

“I am close to my kids, all of them. I love them and they love me.”


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