Video: AKA reveals all in an interview – This is what really happened to Nellie Tembe

In an attempt to “tell his side of the story”, rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes sat down for an emotionally-charged interview with Thembekile Mrototo produced by The Bar Leader TV, which aired on Saturday night.

This was the first time AKA spoke publicly since the death of his fiancée Anele ‘Nelli’ Tembe. She died on April 11 after apparently falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town.

The hours before Nelli’s death

AKA recounted how after having a great time together during the day, he and Nelli decided to discuss some of the issues they had been fighting about in that week, with hopes to put it behind them so they could begin their new chapter as husband and wife properly.

“We sat down, we spoke and naturally we started disagreeing again, arguing and things got more heated – to the point where it went into the early hours of the morning…”

AKA claimed that things took a turn for the worse when Nelli allegedly “threatened to kill herself”.

“I called reception for security and I kind of tried to remove myself from the situation again – I think maybe out of panic – I didn’t want to be there so I went to the bathroom and when I came out of the bathroom, she wasn’t in the room.”

The rapper claimed he only realised what had happened when he went outside and looked over the balcony.
Past violent incidents, abuse allegations and those videos…

“I understand what it looks like and understand that it’s something I need to own up to… I can only imagine how I must have frightened her.”

When asked if he had ever hit Nelli, he replied, “No”.

“I would never abuse Anele. I treated her like gold, she was my everything.”

Claims of past suicide attempts

AKA alleged Nelli had threatened to take her life on previous occasions, but could not speak to why her father, prominent businessman Moses Tembe publicly denied that Nelli was “chronically suicidal” during a tribute at her funeral service.

In response to some of the claims made in the interview, Moses said they were a very private family and just wanted the space to grieve their daughter.
The question of drugs or substance abuse

“Have I tried drugs before, yes I have…” AKA said before refusing to say whether Nelli also took drugs.

AKA also claimed that during his relationship with Nelli he wasn’t abusing any drugs.

Watch the full interview below:

Speculation of violence in AKA and Nelli’s relationship began to swirl after video footage of an incident between them was leaked a week ago.

Two videos of the same incident were leaked. News24 reported on one version showing AKA breaking through a door behind which Nelli was hiding. Screengrabs showing him breaking through the door went viral.

A Tembe family spokesperson would not comment on the footage.

In a statement after the emergence of the footage, the rapper’s lawyer Rudolph Baloyi, senior associate at Mabuza Attorneys, said he wanted to curb speculation and assure Mzansi that AKA is apparently not a GBV perpetrator.