Addicted to drugs and married to an old white man at 18 - Socialite Vanessa's raw confessions

Pulse: You recently confessed to Pulse that you got yourself into drugs some time ago and almost lost it. Are you willing to address the issue publicly, with the confession?

Vanessa: Yes, I don’t mind going public as this is a story with a good ending. I do trust that as someone who some people look up to, this will help someone who could be going through the same thing.

P: For how long did you abuse drugs?

V: For about six months. It was becoming such an addiction. Sometimes when I was called for an event out of Nairobi, I would opt for a road trip as opposed to going through the airport where I definitely would be caught by security officials with the drugs. Very few friends knew this.

P: That is serious. Which drugs were you using?

V: Ecstasy and cocaine.

P: How were you able to get the drugs, I mean, these are illegal drugs?

V: You would be surprised that these drugs are actually easily accessible to those who use them. I won’t give more leads into this as that is now in my past. The downside is that my health deteriorated and I stopped thinking and acting normal. I lost a lot of money because the drugs were really expensive. I was basically losing myself in every aspect.

P: You are still young, I mean, 20 is pretty young. How did it all begin?

V: I love going out, socialising and partying. I’ve been partying since I was 16. When you are out there, you always hear about drugs being cool and see people using them. Partying became my job as I am in showbiz and at some point, I felt that alcohol was not enough to keep me going. That is when peer pressure overcame me. Slowly, I got into drugs.

P: We are assuming that you are no longer using the drugs now, right?

V: I stopped. I went into rehab for about 21 days. I’ve been cleaned up. I had to go off social media and everything through which I could get hooked up again. The truth is, my sister knew I was hooked on drugs and that is when she got to tell my Dad who, together with my other family members, intervened. Let’s just say my family members saved me.

P: But still, addiction does not go so easy...

V: It was really quick for me to stop because I lost my mother to alcohol addiction in 2002. That haunted me. I did not want to take that path.

P: Sorry about that. Just how long does a cocaine high last?

V: It depends. Around six hours. After that the withdrawal would kick in and you feel drained and you need another hit. That is what leads to addiction. You always want to do a top up, and the amounts keep increasing.

P: That must have affected your love life. You broke up with your boyfriend, you said. How long had you dated for?

V: For almost a year.

P: We understand that he is a popular name in the entertainment industry. Is he one of those names we have been linking you with, you know, Shaffie and co?

V: Let’s just say he is actually very well-known but I would rather keep his name under wraps for protection.

P: Did you break up because of the drugs or who cheated who?

V: It was all good up until the end of the relationship when a couple of misunderstandings and conflicts with him and my friends led to the break up. I confirmed that he was cheating on me with a friend for like a month.

P: Word on the street is that you fought bitterly in the club on the day you broke up...

V: We actually got into a physical fight at the club and that left me distraught. I lost it for a while and I didn’t go to work. He basically shoved me to the ground twice. The five bouncers in the club were on his side as he is very influential and he would pay them to protect him from the fallout.

P: You decided to put all that pain into the song, I Hate, thereby becoming a musician. Is this your debut release?

V: It’s my first track and yes, I plan to go into music now. It’s a very emotional song. It is about betrayal, pain and heartbreak. Every lyric is based on my painful experiences.

P: In an interesting twist, you met your current boyfriend, producer Sappy, just recently. How did this happen?

V: I met him when Prezzo, who’s like my brother, took me to record and introduced us. We’re quite different. He doesn’t smoke or drink and it’s been a good balance. He came at the right time.

P: Speaking of Prezzo, have you dated him before?

V: No. We’ve been rumoured to have something but he’s like family. He and my big sister Michelle were in the same school.

P: You were also rumoured to be in a relationship with an old, white man. Was that true?

V: I had a good upbringing but in my teenage years I was dealing with a step mother and a hostile environment. I ran away at 17 and ended up in Nairobi where I met Robert, the old, white man, and we were married for two years. I got married when I was 18.

P: You actually got married?

V: Well, it is called life! We are officially separated. I met him while working as a sales consultant for his company.

P: What happened to the marriage?

V: The more famous I got the more we drifted apart.