When claims of rape, assault, and attempted murder were lodged against well-known musician and television broadcaster Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye, his name became one of the most talked-about subjects in the country.
The revelations created a divide, with some rallying behind Maarohanye while others made calls that his shows should be cancelled.
It is no secret that cancel culture has gained popularity in the entertainment industry, and as a result, many well-known personalities have gotten their fair share of this culture.
Maarohanye joins a long list of local stars who are wrestling with life after social media death on the Showmax original series “Unfollowed”.
The list includes influencer Mihlali Ndamase, actress Zoe Mthiyane, musician Lady Zamar, media personality Nonhle Thema, comedian Tol Ass Mo, media personality Phat Joe, and poet Ntsiki Mazwai.
In “Unfollowed” episode 8, the season finale, the sunglasses stay on as host Thembekile Mrototo delves into the incident in which Jub Jub and a friend killed four schoolchildren in March 2010 which led him to spend four years in prison.
The Ndikhokhele hitmaker says he regrets all his actions, revealing that going to prison was a lesson he learnt.
“I regret all my actions – the accident – and I don’t regret going to prison. Prison is the only place that actually forced me to be alone and reconnect with God and my ‘amadlozi’ (ancestors), no matter what. Because of the life that I was living, man, I had no time for what my ancestors were wanting me to do; I had no time with God.
“I regret all my actions, but I don’t regret going into prison, because there’s a life lesson that I learnt,” said Jub Jub. “Everything was taken away in the blink of an eye.”
Jub Jub is tight-lipped about the deadly 2010 accident, saying: “Out of respect for the families that lost their kids. What happens with myself and the families is not for anybody.”
Speaking about rape claims, he said: “If somebody had raped my family member, I’m telling you now, I would not wait for the justice system… I know what I would do.”
Jub Jub is currently out on bail, facing three counts of rape, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of assault, brought by four different accusers after high-profile women, including actress Amanda du-Pont, Refilwe Khumalo, and Masechaba Khumalo (then Ndlovu), went public online with accusations of violent sexual misconduct.