South African singer Zahara (real name Bulelwa Mkutukana) has threatened legal action against True Love magazine after she appeared on the cover behind the cover line: "Zahara. Marriage, Drugs & Selling Records".
The True Love team has removed all traces of the cover from its social media platforms but has remained silent in the face of the outrage. Zahara responded, calling the cover line "utterly tasteless and misleading". She went on to say that if the magazine did not recall the cover, she would "be left with no choice but to take legal action against them".
The singer, whose personal life has been scrutinised since she shot to fame with the hit song "Loliwe" in 2011, said she was "fed up" with her "name always being used to sell magazines and newspapers".
Fans took to social media in support of Zahara, asking the magazine if there is a story to justify the implication that Zahara is a drug user. According to Twitter user @MsLeloB, who posted an excerpt from the story, Zahara's mention of drugs was in reference to her being entirely against drug use. "I've never been on drugs either. I'm clean as a whistle," she reportedly said in the piece.
"True Love" has not yet issued a statement or response to the comment from the singer or Twitter users.
It is not the first time the magazine has come under fire for its treatment of cover stars. In May 2015, the magazine revealed its June issue cover featuring radio personality Lerato Kganyago, who had been photoshopped to such an extent that she was unrecognisable. In response and to illustrate its point about photoshop being used to "enhance, colour correct and highlight the best features", the magazine released unretouched photos of Kganyago, a move that ruffled even more feathers.
Kganyago has come out in support of Zahara and called for a boycott of True Love magazine.