Bongani Mthombeni and Matthew Booth. (Instagram/@bonganimthombenimoller)
- Bongani Mthombeni has opened up about how the Matthew and Sonia Pule Booth ‘cheesecake scandal’ affected her for the first time since 2022.
- According to the businesswoman, living through the scandal was incredibly difficult as she faced considerable backlash online.
- She also opened up about how much stronger their relationship is as a result of the difficulties they’ve faced.
- For more lifestyle news, go to the News24 Life front page.
In November 2022, social media was set ablaze by former Miss South Africa second runner-up Sonia Booth – now Pule – who took to the net to expose her then-husband, retired soccer star, Matthew Booth’s infidelity.
Turning to the popular app, Instagram, Pule shared post after post detailing how she enlisted the help of a private investigator to uncover her husband’s meandering ways.
A cheesecake found itself in the middle of the scandal and has since become the star of the show. The cheesecake in question was spotted in the fridge by an excited Sonia, who, at the time, said she thought her husband had baked it for their family.
READ | Sonia Booth accuses Matthew Booth of infidelity in series of Instagram posts
When she discovered it missing in the morning, she quickly embarked on a mission to find that Booth had actually baked it for Bongani Mthombeni, who was also married when her relationship with Booth began.
Needless to say, this part of the cheating scandal had left social media users both shocked and amused as they kept refreshing Sonia’s Instagram feed to find out more about Booth’s extramarital activities.
While lawsuits were filed, businesses were started, and insults were hurled, things finally quieted down for Booth and Mthombeni, who have since made their relationship public.
This week, Mthombeni finally opened up about the scandal, which saw her face considerable backlash from South African social media users who labelled her a “home wrecker” and even bullied her by making negative comments about her appearance.
According to Mthombeni, who sat down with award-winning podcaster Lungelo KM on his podcast, Engineer Your Life with Lungelo KM, the whole period was incredibly “difficult” for her.
The businesswoman recalled being ostracised by strangers who she believed were judging the situation based on a single narrative.
She shared, “It was difficult to find myself in the centre of a public scandal, and what made it very difficult as well was that there were so many mistruths.”
The tough thing about it was that I could not respond, so I felt muzzled a little bit because there’s all these things, and I found myself in the midst of public ostracism.
I was insulted by people that didn’t even know me. I was ridiculed by people that didn’t know me. I was dragged by individuals that believed a single narrative.
She emphasised that she and Booth had never had the opportunity to share their side of the story, making it an even “darker time” for them. Mthombeni also said that the situation left her fearful for her children, whom she had to shield from the social media storm.
Reflecting on everything that happened, she says the storm has strengthened her relationship with Booth.
The pair have since launched the Booth Education and Sports Africa organisation to advance youth football empowerment in South Africa. Meanwhile, Pule continues turning her pain into gain and has expanded her Marula Cheesecake empire, launching liqueurs, ice creams, and frozen yoghurts.
READ MORE | Cheesecake and cheating – When a celebrity scandal explodes on social media
