Babes Wodumo under fire over R1200 debt owed to her makeup artist

Babes Wodumo has become the latest South African star to come under the spotlight for failing to pay service providers, after revelations by a makeup artiste that she had failed to settle a R1200 debt from 2021.

According to Zimoja, Gqom superstar Babes Wodumo, real name Bongekile Simelane, is being accused of failing to pay her make-up artist, Pearl Mhlongo (22) of Pearlisiwe Make-Up and Skincare from Durban for the job that she did three years ago.

Chronicling her relationship with Wodumo, Mhlongo said that after being introduced to the star by a friend, she had become her makeup artiste of choice.

“I was introduced to Babes Wodumo through her friend who happened to be my client. I was invited by a friend to come and do her make-up and when I got there, I found Babes Wodumo, who also requested that I do her face.

“I did the job and she paid me in cash. That is when I became her make-up artist. She would invite me over to her house in Westville to come and do her face and she would pay me cash,” she said.

Mhlongo said that the reason Babes Wodumo failed to pay her on the day she did her make-up, leading to the current impasse, was because there was no one to drive her car to a nearby mall.

With her career progressing well, Mhlongo said she did not understand why babes had not paid her yet.

“Babes invited me to come do her face. I went there and did my thing and left without being paid as she promised to pay the next day because she wanted me to come back again to do her face again,” Mhlongo said.

She added that “she is always coming up with excuses. I’m not looking for fame or want to destroy her. All I want is my money for the service rendered. I have been quiet about this for two years.

“I don’t understand how is she failing to pay me R1 200 when she gets gigs. I don’t understand. I think she is taking advantage because I’m a young woman who is trying to run her make-up business. All I want is my money,” she said.