For 10 years of my life, I wrote about celebrities full time. This was a period of my life when I had several celebrity friends and witnessed what actually happens behind the scenes as far as their lives were concerned.

In fact, I “dated” a couple of celebrities and quickly realised I wanted to have a curtain between my public and private life—and a lot of these women were confused about the distinction. Some have lied to themselves so much that they have come to believe their own lies.

Efia Odo continues to embarrass herself with claims which always turn out to be a lie. Not that anyone really cares. Yet she thinks people do and therefore she must lie to convince people that she has “arrived” or that her life is far better than it really is.

You claim to own a restaurant and then you were sacked. And now it turns out that the restaurant never belonged to you—it was for a man you were dating. And that the relationship has ended so you have been axed.

There is nothing wrong with saying from the beginning that: it’s my partner’s restaurant and I am running it.

These people cannot afford many things yet they will claim to own or have them. How are you going to go through life lying to yourself and everyone that you are something when you are not?

And the sad part is this: just as we are growing, they are growing too. Yet, they continue to engage in these childish acts of deceit which have become a quintessential Ghanaian celebrity hallmark.

A lot of them are struggling in this Accra—unable to pay their rents. Some will go as far as borrowing or renting cars to keep up with Jones. What for?

One day, when tragedy hits, their entire dark anus would widely open—think about what happened to Moesha and Beverly Afaglo.

If your desire to be authentic to yourself does not take center stage as you grow, then there is something inherently wrong with you and your general worldview.

The older you get, you would realise the need to under sell yourself to strangers and to keep a strong curtain between your public and private life.

Remember, there is a distinction between Fake Life and Soft Life. If you are not proud about the source of your Soft Life or you don’t have a Soft Life, don’t claim it or lie about it.

—Chris-Vincent Agyapong