Kenyan musician Bahati has come clean after weeks of deceiving his fans about shaving his hair. The singer, who had boldly promised to cut off his dreadlocks if his favorite football club Arsenal lost a match against Paris Saint-Germain, finally admitted he never followed through.
Following Arsenal’s loss, Bahati’s wife Diana Marua immediately grabbed a pair of garden shears, ready to hold him to his word. However, Bahati wasn’t ready to let go of his signature hairstyle. He instead called in a barber to give the illusion that he was fulfilling his promise. Shortly after, he posted photos showing him with a clean-shaven head, convincing some fans that he had honored the bet.
But eagle-eyed followers weren’t so easily fooled. Many questioned why there was no video of the moment and noted inconsistencies in the photos. Speculation grew that the images were edited, and fans started demanding the truth.
More than a week later, Bahati finally admitted what many had suspected all along — the images were fake. Posting a photo that clearly showed his dreadlocks intact, he captioned it with a humorous confession: “Nimechoka kujificha pia editor anasema amechokaaaa kunibadilisha vichwa.” His statement confirmed that he had been relying on his editor to alter his appearance in photos, but the act had become exhausting.
Reactions from fans were mixed. Some found the situation hilarious and applauded him for finally admitting the truth, while others expressed disappointment, feeling misled. A few fans even criticized him for turning what was supposed to be a fun promise into what they felt was an attention-seeking stunt.
During the match that sparked all this, Diana Marua had been actively mocking Bahati as Arsenal conceded goals. Her playful teasing and excitement added to the anticipation, as fans expected the musician to honor his bet. But as it turns out, Bahati had no intention of letting go of his dreadlocks — at least not yet.
Despite the backlash, some supporters defended him, saying he had every right to change his mind about his hair and should not be attacked for joking with edited photos. Others, however, took it more seriously, suggesting the lie was unnecessary and disrespectful to fans who believed him.
In the end, Bahati’s playful deception stirred up a blend of amusement, criticism, and debate across social media — all over football and dreadlocks.