Imagine appearing on the biggest movie in the world right now, and then someone digs into your past. This is exactly what happened to U.S. based actor Patrick Shumba who became a national hero after he featured in the box office hit, Black Panther.
Patrick Shumba moved from becoming a movie hero to an object of ridicule after old images and videos of him acting in a gay porn movie were leaked. Shumba featured in the hit movie, Black Panther, as a dialect coach and tribes warrior. His Zambian fans – some of whom are conservative, and dare we say, displaying homophobic behavior – have not been very forgiving.
Silence. It’s what’s fills the air when I call for help. Not a word of encouragement. Deafening negative vibes echoing through space, magnified by hate and conditional love. Words, sharper than a chef’s knife, piercing through my ear canal. I play deaf, but I’m listening. God hears and knows my path.
Shame. It’s what running through my blood as I try to run away from the truth. The truth that I made a mistake. A mistake I can never fix, even if I tried. So, I hang my head low and pray it all comes to pass. Time stands still and it doesn’t pass fast enough. I’m emotionally constipated. Trapped inside the belly of a fish, I can’t run from my destiny.
An apology. It’s the only thing I have left to offer. No fancy words, no excuses. Apology to the people hurt by my past mistakes. I can promise you, I am far removed from that man. New path, new choices, new directions, renewed faith.
The actor’s publicist, Larrissa Long, has also released a statement denying allegations that Shumba is gay, though she acknowledged the authenticity of the pictures and video.
