Ever wondered about how far celebrities are prepared to go to advance their career and promote their brand?
We recently learnt that "Empire" star Jussie Smollett allegedly staged his own “homophobic, racial attack” because he was being written out of the popular television show.
Smollett, an openly gay African-American actor who plays a gay character on the US drama series, informed the Chicago police that two men shouted racist and homophobic slurs before they put a rope around his neck.
He alleged that his attackers “poured an unknown chemical substance on him”. The initial news of the alleged assault sparked outrage on social media but recent reports of Smollett faking the attack to benefit his career caused a serious meltdown.
If the attack was staged, it will be revealed in due course.
Closer to home, in January, Mzansi’s Nomuzi Mabena staged a car crash during a live Instagram story.
It was later revealed that the “apparent crash” was part of a marketing campaign against drinking and driving.
The video that went viral caused a debate on social media, with Mabena being bashed and the campaign receiving mixed reactions, especially regarding its impact.
Last week’s episode of Mzansi Magic’s "Date My Family" saw Durban-based comedian Siyanda Maphumulo looking for love on one of South Africa’s dating shows.
However, many concluded that Maphumulo was merely looking for a career boost instead of a partner.
In recent years we’ve seen local and international stars faking break-ups just for the sake of making headlines.
It does beg the question, is all publicity, good publicity?