She never gets out of the news, and mainly for the wrong reasons, but the Rwandan ‘Queen of Instagram’, Shaddy Boo is not fazed by the mocking and ridicule that came her way following her most recent trip to Tanzania, as singer Diamond Platnumz’s guest. The ‘slay queen’ and socialite, real name Shadia Mbabazi, was in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to attend Diamond’s “Biko Jibebe Challenge”, which she was a co-host, but what sent the Internet crazy was her English and vague answers to journalists in Tanzania. The socialite was mocked and ridiculed, with many calling her ‘blonde’ for failing to answer simple questions in English. Upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport, Shaddy Boo was confronted by journalists from Diamond’s own television Wasafi TV, who asked her about her trip to Tanzania, and what her fans should expect. A dumbfounded Shaddy Boo kept responding, ‘I am just here to have fun’, and ‘nothing much,’ to all questions. Later on the red carpet, still a seemingly uncomfortable, Shaddy Boo could not comprehend the questions she was asked. She, however, managed to debunk consistent reports that that she has something going on with the “Jibebe” star, pointing out that she is just friends with the Tanzanian mega recording artiste and entrepreneur. The YouTube videos have been watched by thousands, who pointed out her incoherence, while her Instagram posts have been flooded with insults, especially by fans of Diamond’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his children, Zari Hassan. Zari was among those who took to internet to mock Shaddy Boo. ‘Mama Tifa’, as she is commonly known, took time off to say that the Rwandan socialite is dumb and clueless. However, Shaddy Boo was not fazed by the criticism, taking to social media to say that English is not her first language. Shaddy Boo. Net photo “I see people laughing at me because of my little English, FYI I am francophone. I speak French, so English is not really my thing. Did you [expect] me to speak French in a country where no one speaks French?”, the Socialite asked her critics on Snapchat. Speaking to The New Times in a telephone interview, the socialite said that, in her view, she tried, adding that people who laughed at her struggle to speak French, the same way she struggles with English. “I saw a lot of horrible comments. Some people mocked me that I should go back to school and learn English, while others said I should have kept quiet. Of course such mean words hurt, but I don’t let them take control of my mind, as longer as I get what I want,” she said. “Basically, the whole experience was new to me, because I had never been interviewed live on the red carpet before. But I learned a lot, and I’ll try to do better next time,” she added. Some local celebrities and journalists have come to her defence, stating that the mother of two should be given a break. The local socialite also triggered a flurry of dating rumours with Diamond, born Naseeb Abdul Juma. But she denied, saying there’s nothing romantic going on between the two. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
