The truth about Erick Omondi’s 'baby'

By Pulse Team

After a successful photo shoot for our fashion pages with comedian Erick Omondi, the subject requested our photographer to take a photo of him holding the pregnant tummy of the fashionista coordinating the whole shoot.

“I’ve never felt an expectant lady’s tummy,” he commented lightheartedly. The Pulse photographer clicked away.

Scrolling through the pictures, Erick saw one he liked and requested the photographer to send it to him. The photographer obliged. 

Being a good-humoured, easy-going person, Erick posted the photo on his social media page... perhaps oblivious of the sharks that roam the infested virtual waters. And strike, they did.

Within no time, some websites had picked up on what they perceived to be ‘breaking news’ and spread the word of ‘the couple’ expecting a child, all too keen to be the first ones off the gossip blocks. They all grabbed the picture from Erick’s wall but failed to acknowledge the source. Instead, they wrote: “He (Erick) has been keeping his relationships under wraps, but as his girlfriend is approaching the delivery date, they have become more and more open about it. We retrieved the following photo of them expecting.”

A few days later, the gossips enhanced their breaking story and added that the said couple had gotten a baby girl. Shortly afterwards, they posted another photo of the said comedian with a baby pram, claiming he was “family shopping for the new-born”.

Not surprisingly, this news received many hits and the ‘couple’ was roundly congratulated.... until the said ‘girlfriend’ walked into our offices for an official function, still heavy with child!

When we called the website editors, they refused to pick the calls. But then again, who cares when your site is enjoying many hits, even if the story is bogus?

To date, the website editors can neither clarify nor muster the guts to withdraw or apologise for their blabber of balderdash.

Granted, it is a thrill to be the first one with the hottest news, and we at Pulse understand that. However, as long as the news is not based on the truth, or some level of investigation, that what use is that ‘news’, when your ‘hitters’ eventually find out the truth?

In this case, we can only imagine the turmoil the that real father of the unborn child is going through. Whatever our medium, let’s be factual.