Sonia Mbele’s son, Donell Mbele has reportedly been cut from the cast of Showmax reality show, Born Into Fame, following the damning allegations levelled against him.
Currently, Donell stands accused of two counts of rape and was recently released on R1 000 bail after appearing in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. This is after his 17-year-old girlfriend registered the cases against him, after incidents that allegedly took place at his residence in December last year.
Born Into Fame is set against the backdrop of six South Africans with famous parents, who try to live up to their family legacies while discovering their unique paths to success.
As the son of a seasoned actor and producer, the 23-year-old secured a spot on the show to share snippets of his life and the challenges of being born in the limelight.
Entertainment commentator, Phil Mphela, took to his X (formerly Twitter) page to share the report of why Donell was dropped as a cast member of the show.
Check out PhilMphela’s video on @tiktok_sa!
DONELL Mbele dropped from a reality show …. #KgopoloReportshttps://t.co/R7vpDonnyg
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) January 20, 2025
A source close to the production company that produces the show, said to ZiMoja: “The producers felt they would appear as rape apologists if they continued with him on the show. Only when he is proven innocent will he get the opportunity to be part of the show? But it would put the company in a bad light to have someone who is charged with rape on the show.”
The previous cast members included Shamiso Mosaka, Phila Madlingozi, Robbie Malinga Junior, Tank The Rockstar, Owami and AJ Mafokate.
Speaking to DRUM magazine, Sonia broke her silence on the case and revealed that more needs to be known.
“There’s a whole lot that is not known and I’d rather not comment until the truth comes out in this case,” she said.
Also see: Sonia Mbele MIA as son faces yet another bout of multiple rape charges | Bona Magazine
