Mai TT Biography: Age, Children, Husband, Career, Controversies
Age
Mai TT, whose real name is Felistus Murata, was born on April 17, 1985, in Zimbabwe. She is currently 37 years old, turning 38 in 2023.
Background
Mai TT was born into a family of five children to Esther Murata and Edward Murata, a church elder. She attended Mufakose and Glenview High I schools and was in the AFM Church.
Children
Mai TT has two children, daughters: Felisha and Tanatswa (TT).
Career
Mai TT started her career as a comedian and became popular for her hilarious skits that she shared on social media. She quickly became one of Zimbabwe’s most popular comedians, known for her witty sense of humour and ability to make people laugh.
She has also tried her hand at acting. In 2020, Murata was cast for a role in the Tanzanian movie “A Life of Regret,” but did not continue because of disputes due to lack of payment and maltreatment of artists.
Husband
On 9 April 2022, Mai TT married Tinashe Maphosa in an elaborate wedding ceremony. She made a grand entry after arriving on a helicopter at Royal Gates in Chisipite, Harare, with her daughters. The wedding was themed “the wedding of all time in the country” due to its glamour.
In an interview, she claimed that she had splashed close to US$100,000 (approximately R1.67 million) on her fairytale wedding. The event was graced by South African superstar musician Kelly Khumalo.
Mai TT wedding-Image Source@Facebook
Marriages
She had her first marriage at the age of 18 and later said this affected her life because she was not mature enough to handle marriage.
Mai TT’s marriage to Tapiwa Mutikani resulted in the birth of their child, daughter Tanatswa Alisha Mutikani. However, the marriage ended acrimoniously after she accused him of infecting her with HIV.
High Profile Relationships
Mai TT is known for being outspoken and public about her relationships. She has been in several high-profile relationships, some of which have ended in controversy.
In 2019, Mai TT announced that she was engaged to her then-boyfriend, Zizoe Pamyk, a fellow musician. However, the engagement ended a few months later, and the couple engaged in a public spat on social media. She is on record saying Zizoe, real name Blessed Zingwe, used her for fame, as he wanted to boost his musical career.
Mai TT and Zizoe Pamyk-Image Source@Facebook
She was later involved in another high-profile relationship with a Nigerian businessman, Charles Obina Ugwa. However, the two later broke up. She later got involved with a white guy by the name Chime, who was said to be based in England.
Controversies
Mai TT is no stranger to controversy. She has been criticized for her outspoken nature, which has landed her in trouble with some of her peers in the entertainment industry and landed her in legal issues.
Court Cases
Mai Titi has been involved in several court cases throughout her career.
- In 2020, Mai Titi took one of her colleagues Kristle Smasher to the Harare Magistrates’ Court, complaining that she incited her personal assistant, Morepower Masimba Gombe and Patricia Jeke, to suffocate her to death while on a hospital bed.
- In October 2020, Mai Titi was ordered to pay $500,000 in defamation damages by the High Court to local home decor expert Memory Muyaka for calling her a prostitute, witch, and cultist on social media.
- In November 2022, Mai Titi was sued for a massive US$250,000 by her US-based estranged husband, Tinashe Maphosa, for defamation. This was after Mai Titi allegedly called her estranged husband “a serial liar, abusive, rapist and criminal who used the Defendant’s name to borrow money.”
2022 Conviction For Theft Of Trust Property and 9-Month Prison Sentence
In June 2022, Mai TT was convicted for the theft of trust property and sentenced to serve an effective nine months in prison. The sentencing was delivered by Harare Magistrate Mrs Munashe Chibanda.
Mai TT was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, with six months suspended, on the condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. Therefore, the effective prison term amounts to six months.
In addition to the conviction for theft of trust property, Mai TT also faced consequences for defaulting on a previous community service sentence. Having failed to complete 105 hours of community service six years ago for a 2015 conviction, she was given an additional three-month prison term for this offence. In total, Mai TT was sentenced to serve nine months in custody.
Background of the Fraud Case
The fraud case that led to Mai TT’s conviction involved a series of events spanning several transactions. She had borrowed US$10,000 from a loan shark, using various items as collateral. Initially, she presented a hired Mercedes Benz vehicle as surety to the lender, Ms Rachel Mhuka. However, Mai TT later claimed that the Mercedes Benz did not belong to her and substituted it with an Audi Q5.
Subsequently, Mai TT replaced the Audi Q5 with an invalid passport as additional collateral. When Mhuka discovered that the passport was invalid, she confronted Mai TT, who promptly returned the second vehicle. In January of the following year, the police seized the car, acting on a report from Else Event Car Hire, alleging that it had been stolen. The company accused Mai TT of theft of trust property, leading to the subsequent legal proceedings.
Previous Community Service Default
During the trial for the fraud case, it was revealed that Mai TT had previously defaulted on a community service sentence eight years ago. Her lawyer requested a similar sentence in this case, highlighting her previous failure to fulfill the court’s requirements. The court took this information into consideration when delivering the final sentence.
