Tol A$$ Mo’s wife Mome on why she stood by him during rape allegations

Nearly two years after Tol A$$ Mo was acquitted of rape, the comedian and his family are still coming to terms with the aftermath of the accusation.

Tol A$$ Mo, whose real name is Mongezi Mahlangu, and his wife, Mome Mahlangu, discussed the ordeal during a recent episode of ‘The Carol Ofori Podcast’.

In 2020, Tol A$$ Mo was accused of sexually assaulting and raping a local model. The incident allegedly took place while they were working on a television production together in the Western Cape in 2014.

He denied the allegations and was acquitted of all charges in 2022. The court, according to a statement released by Tol A$$ Mo, found that his accuser was a "dishonest and unreliable" witness. 

He felt vindicated after the ruling, saying in his statement that the “false and malicious” claims caused immense damage to him, his family, his children, and his professional reputation.

Throughout it all, Mome stood by his side. Many questioned why she would do so, and some still do, especially considering that there are still those who are convinced his accuser is telling the truth.

Speaking to Carol Ofori, a presenter on our sister station East Coast Radio, Mome says she always believed her husband was innocent.

She recalls the day she received a WhatsApp message from a former friend in the “middle of the night” about the rape claim. Mome ignored the message, brushing it off as nonsense. 

“I went back to sleep.”

She woke up the following day and told her husband about the strange message.

“In my head, I was like, 'no man, it just doesn't make sense', you know? And also I said to Mo, 'You need to figure out what's happening here and sort it out because I've never seen you as that type of a person.' But I guess as time went by the truth unfolded,” Mome told Carol.

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That “nonsense” message turned out to be something serious that resulted in a two-year legal fight to prove his innocence.

“It was a massive test in our relationship,” said Tol A$$ Mo.

Mome says she knew the next few years were going to be tough.

“I remember saying to him in 2020, 'This is going to take five years. So I'm going to need you to be strong for the next five years because what's going to happen is the back and forth and our names constantly in the media back and forth, you know, and there's going to be a lot of emotional turmoil.'”

The couple didn’t only have themselves to think of; they have four children together – three daughters and one son.

Thankfully, their two youngest children had no social media access at the time. However, their daughter, Khumo, eventually learned what was happening.

“When she found out, she came to me and she said, ‘Ma, you know, I think that woman has got problems. The only thing we can do is pray for her because I know my dad’. For me to see that she understands what's happening at that age, it was also kind of easy to be more open. Even when Mo would attend the court case, we'd pray together and we'd always say that God is with him,” she said.

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Being acquitted of the allegations was a massive relief for the family. The allegations had taken a toll on Tol A$$ Mo, who suffered a severe mental health crisis. 

Despite keeping a united front during the legal battle, the strain of what they endured eventually started to show. Toll A$$ Mo announced in 2023 that they had separated and were in the process of a divorce.

Their split was short-lived, though, as they rekindled their romance by the end of the year. 

They are stronger today for weathering the storm that almost tore their family apart. Toll A$$ Mo has spent the past few years focusing on his healing. He has slowly started returning to work. 

The couple are in a great space, especially with their children.

“Them seeing us going through those challenges and being back together again and making things work in front of their eyes in their lifetime, I think it will be something that they'll never forget us for, baby, you know? I think that even when they grow up, it will be something that will be their own personal life lessons. It's not easy for our kids as well, being born in the limelight. They didn't ask for this, they didn't choose this, you know?”

“They're just happy to see their dad in a good place,” Mome told Carol.

“And that dad is back home,” Tol A$$ Mo added.

“Dad is back home and life has gone back to normal.”

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Listen to their full interview on ‘The Carol Ofori Podcast’ below:

You can also watch the episode on YouTube below:

Main image credit: Instagram/@tolassmothegamer