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Jackie Chandiru has revealed more details about her once-glamorous life which vanished in her eyes when she fell into the trap of drug addiction.
At the peak of her success, she called having everything including wealthy men eating from her hands.
"I had the perfect body that every man talked about. Whenever I entered a place, I could feel my presence there. All eyes were glued to me," she recounted in a candid interview with Susan Makula
Chandiru disclosed that a Forbes-listed billionaire from Africa one slid into her DMs, showering her with extravagant gifts.
"This person would send me $20,000, like how someone sends their girlfriend flowers," she said. However, she admitted she had no interest in him.
She recalled one time when she flew to Dubai just to buy a $400 pair of shoes, spending $30,000 on the flight.
"God gave me all this and then took it all away, leaving me with just my life," she added, noting that this humbling experience was meant to teach her the fragility of worldly possessions.
From Wealth to Struggling for Survival
Despite her earlier success, Chandiru’s life took a dramatic turn as she battled addiction.
She recounted moments of desperation, including begging for UGX 500 and lying in a church to receive UGX 10,000, which she used to buy drugs.
“Right now I can go to the market and start bargaining for groceries,” she said.
“One time I went to a church and lied to the congregants and they gave me UGX 10,000 at the reception. I went straight to a pharmacy to get drugs.”
The Roots of Her Addiction
Chandiru’s addiction began after being prescribed the painkiller Pethidine for a severe back issue.
The drug, initially intended to manage her pain and chronic insomnia, became a crutch that spiralled into full-blown dependency.
At the height of her addiction, Chandiru recalls being able to sleep no more than four hours a week.
The lucky one
The Blu 3 songstress, however, considers herself lucky to have survived addiction.
She contrasted herself with powerful celebrities who lost the battle to drugs.
“Amy Winehouse is dead, and so are Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. They had money that did not even know mine. Michael Jackson was using the same drug I was using,” she said.