Free One Tragic Night by Mandy Wiener Page B

Reeva’s ex-fling Francois Hougaard, and she had to tread carefully as she entered into this new relationship. Her dalliance with the rugby player had also prepared her for dating a celebrity. ‘I think it might have been a little bit overwhelming in the beginning, but she had been with Francois before. I know she wasn’t chasing the limelight but I think she quite liked it. She liked what he was well known for. He wasn’t an actor or a model or something like that, he’s achieved a lot.’
    Hougaard soon found out about the Sports Awards, and the next day Reeva had to deal with the fallout, despite the pair calling it quits just days earlier. The model discussed her concerns with a friend in an iMessage: ‘My gosh I’m trying to sort out so much shit now. Hougi is so fucken upset about yesterday with oz and it was so innocent I was just trying to help:(I don’t know who told him in such a shit way he has such a big tour going on its not a joke and Oscar told him it was last minute and made sure it was ok! People are interfering and stupid.’
    In another message, Reeva told a friend: ‘I was a last option. I think after Tropika filming I’m giving up on this career I can’t have this kind of negativity and games and people stabbing each other in the back.’ Despite what Oscar had told Reeva, Taylor would later dispute this both in court and in an interview with us.
    While the friend tried to be understanding, she offered a view from Hougaard’s side and how he might have perceived the situation. ‘Hmmmm….. Probably a huge misunderstanding but maybe you should have thought it through before agreeing to do it – even if you wanted to help him out. Also not sure why he asked you if he had Justin and all those boys that could attend or even his brother or sister. It was a massive event with people from the sports industry, with media present, nothing unfortunately will be a secret. I don’t blame him [Hougaard] for being upset.’
    But Reeva nevertheless asserted her independence and made it clear that she no longer had any attachment to the rugby player: ‘I went. I had fun and I have no regrets! No one else could go! I can guarantee u he would’ve asked u if u were at track day that’s how chilled it was. Hougi made a fool of me the last few weeks and has no claim over me! I’m 29 and I make my own decisions I won’t let anyone make me feel like this!’
    Samantha doesn’t believe that Reeva began dating Oscar for the wrong reasons and she never felt any discomfort or had any qualms about his so-called disability and the fact that he wore prosthetics.
    â€˜I asked her and she said she doesn’t even notice. I said to her, “Is it inhibiting in any way?” I mean, everyone is wondering it, it’s just I asked it. She said no and that makes me feel like she really cared for him and she completely overlooked all of that. I think for other girls that were in it just for the fame, they would force themselves to be okay with it, but I know for a fact that it wasn’t an issue for her at all.’
    Samantha also rubbishes suggestions that emerged shortly after Reeva’s death that she could have provoked Oscar into a rage after mocking him about his handicap. ‘A lot of people heard rumours going around, “Ah, you know, she must have said to him, ‘You’re half a man,’ or something like that”; it’s absolute bull.’
    She adds that Reeva was never cruel and, in fact, always tried to avoid confrontation, choosing to walk away from a fight to let tempers cool rather than see it escalate. ‘Reeva was often more the silent-treatment kind of person. If they ever did get into an argument, she would say, “Come and talk to me when you’re ready to talk.” She wasn’t an aggressive person at all.’

    Despite the controversy and hearsay, however, the budding