Celebrity Buzz Page 5 of 29
Celebrity news from Ghana, Africa and Hollywood — interviews, relationships, red carpets, milestones and behind-the-scenes stories.
Celebrity Buzz From Ghana to Apple, Uber and Netflix: Bozoma Saint John, the marketing executive with Ghanaian roots
Bozoma Saint John, born in the United States to Ghanaian parents and raised partly in Ghana, became one of the most visible marketing executives in America, with senior roles at Pepsi, Apple Music, Uber, Endeavor and Netflix. She has written about grief, identity and ambition.
Celebrity Buzz “The Beast”: Adebayo Akinfenwa, the strongest player in FIFA, who took Wycombe to the Championship
Adebayo Akinfenwa, a London-born striker of Nigerian heritage, became famous as the strongest player in the FIFA video game series. He played for many lower-league clubs and helped Wycombe Wanderers win promotion to the Championship in 2020, before retiring in 2022.
Celebrity Buzz Months after winning the Champions League, Nwankwo Kanu was told he had a heart defect. Then he won Olympic gold
Nwankwo Kanu won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and captained Nigeria to Olympic gold in 1996, then learned he had a serious heart defect. After surgery, he returned to play for Inter Milan and Arsenal and set up the Kanu Heart Foundation to help African children with heart conditions.
Celebrity Buzz “So good they named him twice”: Jay-Jay Okocha, the Nigerian magician of Frankfurt, PSG and Bolton
Augustine "Jay-Jay" Okocha, one of the most skilful footballers Africa has produced, dazzled fans in Germany, Turkey, France and England. He won Olympic gold with Nigeria in 1996 and became a cult hero at Bolton Wanderers, where fans said he was so good they named him twice.
Celebrity Buzz Chess prodigy of the Katwe slum: how Phiona Mutesi’s story reached Hollywood in Queen of Katwe
Phiona Mutesi learned chess in a slum in Kampala, Uganda, and became a national champion and Olympiad player. Her story was told in the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, directed by Mira Nair, with Madina Nalwanga, Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo.
Celebrity Buzz From Zaria to an NBA title: Masai Ujiri, the Nigerian executive who built the 2019 Toronto Raptors
Masai Ujiri grew up in Zaria, Nigeria, played basketball in the United States and Europe, and became an NBA executive. As president of the Toronto Raptors, he built the team that won the 2019 NBA championship. His Giants of Africa foundation runs camps and builds courts across the continent.
Celebrity Buzz Seven feet four, a Congolese father and a French childhood: Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s newest giant
Victor Wembanyama, born in France to a Congolese father and a French mother, was the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft. At around 7 foot 4, with guard skills, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2024 and won an Olympic silver medal with France.
Celebrity Buzz A Panenka that sent Morocco into history: Achraf Hakimi and Africa’s first World Cup semi-final
Achraf Hakimi, born in Madrid to Moroccan parents, chose to play for Morocco. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, his chipped penalty knocked out Spain and helped Morocco become the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Celebrity Buzz From Sarcelles to a 5,000-1 title: Riyad Mahrez and Leicester City’s miracle season
Riyad Mahrez, the son of an Algerian father and a mother of Algerian and Moroccan heritage, grew up in Sarcelles near Paris. He was the star of Leicester City's 5,000-1 Premier League title in 2016, then won more titles with Manchester City and captained Algeria to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Celebrity Buzz A Cameroonian father, an Algerian mother and a World Cup at 19: Kylian Mbappé’s story starts in Bondy
Kylian Mbappé grew up in Bondy, a suburb north-east of Paris, the son of a Cameroonian father and a French-Algerian mother. He won the World Cup with France at 19 in 2018, scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final and joined Real Madrid in 2024.