Rapper AKA and booze brand Cruz Vodka have parted ways - for now.
This after he withdrew from performing at the Huawei Joburg Day on 28 May.
The Fela in Versace hitmaker is said to have put his work with the vodka brand on pause amid public scrutiny and backlash over leaked videos of him fighting with his late girlfriend, Anele “Nelli” Tembe.
Tembe, 22, died on 11 April after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club in the Cape Town CBD. Her death is being investigated.
Her father, Moses Tembe, said he does not believe she committed suicide.
In the leaked video, AKA is seen breaking down a bedroom door with his hands, apparently trying to get to Tembe, who had locked herself in the room. The alleged incident happened on 13 March.
AKA issued a statement saying he is not a suspect and that the videos were leaked to push a narrative that he was abusive to Tembe.
But women’s groups and some stars called for his cancellation and his music to be muted.
AKA, 33, announced he wanted to put a stop to some of the gigs he had been lined up on, and that he’d chosen to step back from his involvement with Cruz Vodka.
The rapper said in a statement: “Beyond dealing with the loss of Anele, the love of my life, I am also having to deal with snippets taken out of context of our relationship that found their way to social media.”