[imagesource: M-Net]

Lee Thompson was the leading man in the first season of The Bachelor SA.

We’re talking 24 women competing for your attention, a nation watching on, and a bloke who ‘felt more connections’ than WiFi at a Cape Town CBD coffee shop.

Not a great joke, I admit, but still better than the season finale of the first season of The Bachelor SA.

Sadly for Thompson, it appears as though his situation has taken a turn for the worse. Last Friday, YOU Magazine reported that he is living in a homeless shelter after being kicked out of a room he had been renting in a guesthouse in Cape Town’s CBD.

It’s alleged he was paying R300 a night to stay there but left the room looking “as if a bomb had exploded”:

“It was one big mess. The whole room was strewn with clothes, rubbish, empty drink bottles and glasses. The kitchen floor was littered and even the furniture was broken. Not to mention the used open condoms lying on the bedroom floor,” [the owner] says.

The owner says things came to a head one night when she received a call that a tenant “had gone crazy”:

“He threw the microwave oven, made a fire in the kitchen and wanted to put it out with the washing machine that he wanted to pick up,” she recalls.

“I told him, ‘You have a problem.’ Then he said to me, yes, he knows… Lee’s actually not terrible. He’s a nice guy, but he’s lost it.”

Even after being evicted, the owner claims Thompson returned to the property, scaled the gate, and regained access to the property.

YOU sent reporters to look for Thompson and were directed to a night shelter in the CBD. Thompson told the shelter’s manager that he didn’t want to speak to the media.

The story gained traction over the weekend and M-Net has now issued a response via Channel24:

“Our performers are at the heart of who we are as storytellers. We are aware that the entertainment industry can be overwhelming for some.

“The readjustment back to everyday life once a show is wrapped is taken very seriously. As such, working with our producers, we ensure that we give our stars robust support and tools to help them reintegrate back into society, and this has helped many to resume their lives successfully. The sad reality is that not all manage to do so sustainably, with some subsequently falling into unfavourable circumstances years after the end of their association with our shows.”

Thompson has yet to publicly respond to the reports which came out last Friday.

His most recent Instagram post certainly doesn’t allude to any issues on his side:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (@leethompson52)

However, in the comments on that post, there are accusations that Thompson has swindled people out of money regarding a tell-all book he has been promoting:

Thompson made the pre-order announcement via his social media channels in September last year:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (@leethompson52)

Thompson also appeared on CliffCentral promoting the book and gave an interview as recently as May where he spoke about The Truth Behind The Rose.

Last November, he admitted the book had been delayed due to “a few possible legal matters which have taken a little longer than expected”.

The South African spoke with a number of people who are frustrated that they have paid for pre-orders and heard nothing back:

…several women revealed that Lee Thompson had taken their money and failed to deliver his book. Carla Goncalves Fontoura claimed that Lee essentially ghosted her when she tried to follow up…

Melicia Kelly, who claimed to be a friend of Lee Thompson, was also snubbed after inquiring about the book.

She said: “I considered Lee a friend until I paid for my TWO books and never got them. Then he went ahead and blocked me. I am very unimpressed and I have also lost money on this. He has not said a word to me in months. I can’t get any information regarding the book or at the very least my refund.”

Thompson has previously claimed that he was offered upwards of R1 million not to publish the book, and shared a screenshot purporting to show that Oprah Winfrey was interested in acquiring a copy.

TV blogger Thinus Ferreira, known online for TV with Thinus, told The South African that the book never had a publisher and likened Thompson to the infamous ‘Tinder Swindler’, Simon Leviev (real name Shimon Hayut):

He added: “it seems to be a case of a South African Tinder Swindler. There are many stories of people he asked for money. Who knows how many might come out and talk about him owing them money? Some may be too embarrassed to say”.

A “close acquaintance” of Thompson said he “had a history of asking female admirers for money”.

If anything good can come out of this, perhaps Thompson can be given the help he may need to deal with his current circumstances.

[sources:youmag&channel24&southafrican]