The parents of the late rapper Kieran ‘AKA’ Forbes have distanced themselves from Melinda Ferguson’s new book ‘When Love Kills: The tragic tale of AKA and Anele’, describing it as “distateful and opportunistic”.

It is set for release this week.

Excerpts from the book published on Monday described details about AKA and Anele’s fractured relationship, with details about how just a month after paying lobola for Anele, she had allegedly thrown her engagement ring at him the night before she died.

The book also shared details that Anele had been uneasy about DJ Zinhle, the mother of AKA’s daughter Kairo. It is alleged the couple had been arguing about her the night before she died.

Anele’s father, Moses, is also quoted saying his daughter had reported that the late rapper was allegedly hurting her, but he admits he did not intervene.

“I should have done something more,” he is quoted as saying in the book. “I live with so many regrets because of this”.

On Monday, the Forbes family, through AKA’s parents Tony and Lynn Forbes, issued a media statement, saying they were not associated in any way with the book and do not endorse it.

“When Melinda reached out to us we respectfully and rightfully declined to contribute to her book,” said the Forbes.

“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.”

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Ferguson confirmed her new book on the tragic tale of AKA and Anele, last week after news was leaked on social media.

Ferguson, responding to her Facebook followers at the time, shared that she spoke intensively to both sides of the families and received permission from Anele’s father.

Ferguson, responding to her Facebook followers at the time, shared that she spoke intensively to both sides of the families and received permission. Picture: Facebook screenshot

In a separate post following the mixed reaction to the book, Ferguson explained why she penned the book on the tragedy of the couple that made national headlines.

“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,” Ferguson explained.

“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.

“In the last moments of Anele’s life, as she lay on the tar after she had plummeted from the 10th storey of the Pepperclub in Cape Town, she silently mouthed the words ‘Please help me’.

“As I got deeper and deeper into my writing, I felt her call grow louder and louder,” read the post from Ferguson.

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Forbes family slams new book on AKA and Anele as ‘distasteful and opportunistic’