Cape Town - Cape Town comedian and radio star Soli Philander has split from his wife of over 30 years.
The dreadlocked funnyman and Toni Philander have four children together, aged 17 to 26.
The Daily Voice spoke to both Toni and Soli, who asked for privacy after they confirmed their separation.
Toni says Soli is the one who walked out: “He’s the one who left and I’m really not willing to discuss the details.”
Soli added that it was “a personal matter” but confirmed: “We are going to get a divorce.”
Neither would give a reason for the separation.
It now appears Toni has moved out of the family home in Rondebosch and is living in Belhar.
Toni tweeted: “One frequently hears motorbikes in the distance at night #Belhar.”
She has also posted that she was looking for a new home: “I know that somewhere out there, a house is hunting for me.
“I am here, revealed, and waiting.”
And she even changed her Twitter name from Toni Philander to “Toni-someone else”.
She tweeted: “Learning abt solitude, and wondering if it’s akin to loneliness. Time tells that story.”
The couple met at Club 58 in Hillbrow in Johannesburg in the mid 1980s and were friends for over a year before things got romantic.
Soli has always praised his wife publicly for supporting his successful television and radio career.
Toni was a stay-at-home mom, and also managed his career for years.
Soli’s latest venture, Taxi Radio which he started in 2010, has been a massive hit with Cape listeners.
The couple, who have been very visible in the entertainment industry, have weathered many storms over the years.
In 2006, Toni’s mom Eugene Schaefer was brutally raped and murdered in her home.
And the couple stayed strong when Simon Matshwane was sentenced to two life sentences for the crimes.
In 2009, Soli and Toni set tongues wagging when they posed nude for the Marie Claire magazine’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign.
The couple sat side by side in the nude on a couch.
Daily Voice