By: Natasha Archary
Tony and Lynn Forbes have distanced themselves from Melinda Ferguson’s book, When Love Kills: The Tragic Tale of AKA and Anele.
Melinda, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author likened the love story of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Anele Tembe to that of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
The team on Siz the World with Sizwe Dhlomo shared their opinions and asked how listeners feel about the release of the book.
Listen to the conversation here:
A relationship Melinda describes as a “whirlwind of obsession, alleged substance abuse and violence.”
“I wrote this book in an attempt to try and understand a story about two people who fell down a rabbit hole of toxic love. Something kept driving me to keep on in search of some kind of truth around what happened. And why they were now both dead. I have been through my own kind of hell in my life as an addict and as someone who has embarked on dangerous and obsessive relationships. Their story spoke to me. It literally broke my heart.
While researching and writing, I found it especially tragic that Anele, who had just turned 22 when she died, has no actual voice in this book. Besides a few utterings on social media, there are no records of any of her statements or interviews in the public realm. She had yet to make her mark, so I had to rely on what other people have said about a significant character in this story.”
Melinda Ferguson shared in a lengthy Facebook post why she wrote the book on AKA and Anele
Despite her reasons for writing the book, Tony and Lynn Forbes have stated that they do not endorse Melinda Ferguson’s book about their late son, calling the timing “distasteful and opportunistic.”
“We are not in any way associated with Melinda Fergusno’s book and we do not endorse it.
In the same breath we distance ourselves from the contents of the book.
When Melinda reached out to us, we respectfully and rightfully declined to contribute to her book.
At this stage we cannot give any further comment on the book as we are unaware of its contents.
We do however find the intended publication of the book and the timing distasteful and opportunistic.”
Tony and Lynn Forbes have distanced themselves from Melinda Ferguson’s book
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Meanwhile, the South African claims that the Tembe family did not commission Melinda to write the book.
The publication reports having spoken to a family spokesperson who denied that the family had any involvement with the book.
This comes after Anele’s father, Moses Tembe spoke out for the first time in the 3-years since his daughter’s passing, saying he wanted AKA to take to the stands in court as either a suspect or witness.
Also read: Moses Tembe still seeking answers for daughter, Anele Tembe’s death 3-years later
