DJ Tira’s case against musician Luke Ntombela to be heard in court.
DJ Tira, the renowned Afrotainment record label boss, is set to appear in the High Court on Friday, June 28, in a defamation case against singer Luke Ntombela. This development comes in the wake of allegations made by Luke, a former Clash of The Choirs contestant and Idols SA participant, who claimed that she may have been sexually violated by DJ Tira after waking up naked in his bed, with no memory of what had transpired.
In May, Luke took to Facebook to share her account of the alleged incident, along with screenshots of purported WhatsApp conversations with DJ Tira, where she pleaded with him to explain the events. In response, DJ Tira issued a cease and desist letter to Luke, but she challenged him to take her to court, stating that she would continue to speak freely and publicly about the allegations.
During an interview with DJ Sbu on Radio 2000, DJ Tira, accompanied by his wife, Gugu Khathi, expressed his intention to allow the law to take its course. Gugu, a businesswoman and former Mafikizolo dancer, emphasized that their family is often targeted whenever they are working on significant projects, suggesting that the current situation is a distraction from their endeavors, including the upcoming Hollywoodbets Durban July marquee.
DJ Tira and his wife Gugu Khathi address the rape allegations and pending court case on DJ Sbu’s breakfast show. pic.twitter.com/XBgjMoP1rW
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) June 25, 2024
Gugu also acknowledged her familiarity with Luke and stated that she harbors no ill will towards her. However, she explained that the decision to pursue legal action was driven by the need to protect their business relationships, as the allegations have had a negative impact on their partnerships and sponsorships.
“It’s become a trend over the years. We’ve started to recognise that every time we’re working on something big, something comes. There’s a lot of big things we’re working on now and I think three days after we spoke to say this is what we’re going to do, this happens.It’s like every time we’re working on something big, something must pull you back.I don’t have anything against the sister, uLu [Luke], I know her very well. I was around, on the specific day she’s talking about, I was also around,” said Gugu.
“We’re doing the [Hollywoodbets Durban July] marquee and we’ve got sponsors, they worry when things like this happen. They want to see what you say…it’s not about the pressure between us, it’s how you protect the business relationship, and people don’t want to worry when working with you,” she said.
Overall, the impending court case between DJ Tira and Luke Ntombela has garnered significant attention, and the outcome will likely have implications for the parties involved, as well as the broader entertainment industry.
