Swankie Mafoko is laying it all bare in her one woman show. Picture: Supplied History is littered with stories of comedians who died depressed. This year, South African comedian Ebenhaezer Dibakwane died after struggling with mental illness.
He is believed to havedied from suicide. “Ebby was a huge friend of mine, we were the same age…he died so depressed, yet he made people laugh,” Swankie Mafoko tellsThe Citizen. TheOur Perfect Weddinghost lays her struggles bare inThe Joke Was On Me, a one-woman show stage reading.
Mafoko is a lively person who is always the life of the party; however, like most comics and performers, she never dealt with her internal battles. “I always like to crack jokes. I found that I used to crack jokes even when I was in pain.
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So the Joke Was On Me is about that, like I’ve been living in this façade, I’ve been making people laugh. The joke was on me because I didn’t respect myself enough to stop drinking; I didn’t respect myself enough to go through the grieving process.” The 31-year-old actress, storyteller and mental health activist who has appeared in films such asHow To Ruin Christmasis taking the audience on her journey of dealing with addiction, grief, and eventually finding healing. In early 2023, her brother, celebrity chef Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko, died after a short illness. This turned her life upside down because of how close they were.
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