This week in entertainment: influencer drama, engagement bling and all the buzz

This week, the spotlight has swung from high-profile engagements to concerning matters that have had the internet buzzing.

From Cyan Boujee’s involvement in a Russian programme to Taylor Swift's engagement and the upcoming Netflix docuseries, “Beauty and the Bester”, here’s your weekly catch-up entertainment news:

1. South African influencers spark human trafficking concerns over their involvement in Russia’s Alabuga Start programme

Multiple influencers, including Cyan Boujee (Honour Zuma), Peachy Sprinkles (Siyamthanda Anita), Ghost Hlubi (Khanya Hlubi), Seemah (Sima Mangolwane) and Zillewizzy (Khathutshelo Netshitomboni), have promoted the Alabuga Start programme.

Reports from 2024 by "The Associated Press" brought to light concerns about the same programme that is recruiting women from Central and East African countries to assemble drones in a Russian factory for deployment in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, some of these influencers have since deleted the videos on their social media pages, while others claim that the human trafficking claims are not true.

2. Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana seek court intervention to halt “Beauty and the Bester” documentary

Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana have challenged the release of Netflix's true-crime docuseries “Beauty and the Bester", which is set to premiere on September 12. 

The pair have this week filed an urgent court application to stop the release as Bester and Magudumana claim that the series includes inaccurate, defamatory and unsubstantiated claims, thereby infringing upon their constitutional rights.

3. Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz spark dating rumours 

American singer Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz have been making headlines after they were spotted spending time together multiple times.

The pair were spotted recently in Rome and London, sending fans into a frenzy about them being the next A-list couple.

Neither has confirmed nor denied the rumours, but Styles and Kravitz were reportedly seen "going heavy on the PDA" in Soho, according to "The Sun". Fan videos later emerged on social media, showing them strolling arm-in-arm in Rome.

4. Amapiano sensation Aymos teaches upcoming artists how to make music

In a short yet educative video, Babili "Aymos" Shili, a singer and songwriter, used TikTok to encourage artists to prioritise song structure, noting that many releases suffer from weak or incomplete lyrics.

“I know a lot of songs get away with poor lyrics,” he said. “Guys, it’s prefix, body and suffix. You introduce your story, explain and close. Ay, things we hear.”

The Amapiano star rose to fame in 2020 and has since produced hit songs such as “Fatela”, “Izenzo” and “Emcimbini”.

5. Ronnie Nyakale candidly reveals the reasons why he chose to be an Uber driver

Former "Generations: The Legacy" actor Ronnie Nyakale who played Cosmo in the popular soapie, opened up becoming an Uber driver.

He explained that he started this side hustle as a way to subsidise his salary. The actor also said that when he did his calculations and looked at his salary, his pay was no longer enough to meet his needs.

6. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

American pop singer Taylor Swift broke the internet after she shared the news of her engagement on Tuesday.

The "Cruel Summer" singer , whose romance with athlete Travis Kelce has been making headlines since 2023 when they started dating, shared stunning pictures of the intimate engagement proposal which took place in the backyard of their Kansas home.

Kelce also co-designed the vintage-inspired ring that has also been making headlines as fans gushed over how perfect and fitting it is for the 14-time Grammy award-winning singer.

7. Nandi Nyembe funeral details announced

The funeral service for the legendary actress is set to take place on Saturday, August 30, with the venue to be confirmed.

Nyembe died at the age of 75 on Saturday, August 23. Her death was confirmed and announced by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

Her passing comes just four months after she publicly appealed for financial support.

8. Louis Vuitton debuts new beauty line

Louis Vuitton has unveiled its first beauty line for the first time in history called, “La Beauté Louis Vuitton.”

This first-of-its-kind collection has been created in collaboration with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, who has worked with iconic fashion houses such as Prada, Gucci, Dior and more.

The “La Beauté Louis Vuitton” is set to launch worldwide on Friday, August 29.

9. Michelle Obama shares dating advice

During a conversation on her podcast, “IMO with Michele Obama and Craig Robinson" the former First Lady shared that one basically needs to date a lot.

What does that mean? That basically means that you need to explore so that you don’t settle for the bare minimum.

She said: “The thing that I did do was date a lot. And so when Barack showed up, I had experiences to compare him against. I knew a lot of (how) I didn’t like this. I didn’t like that.”

10. Pamela Nomvete speaks about the struggles of passport renewal as a dual citizen

Actress, Pamela Nomvete recently took to social media to air out her frustrations over being a dual citizen and being unable to visit her ancestral land because she cannot renew her passport.

Nomvete shared that the South African Department of Home Affairs told her to produce her late parents’ documents, which she cannot since her parents have passed away.

The former “Lockdown” actress also said that this has been a tumultuous journey for her however she will not give up until she is able to renew her passport.