The 17-year marriage of Ugandan music star Joseph Mayanja, better known by his stage name Jose Chameleone, is now before the courts after his wife, Daniella Atim, filed for divorce.
Atim, who has five children with the singer, lodged the case in March, accusing him of abandoning the family for five years and leaving her to cope with depression, neglect and the responsibilities of raising their children alone.
The couple married in June 2008 and are parents to Abba, 19, Alpha, 16, Alba, 13, Ama, 11, and Zara, 6.
In her petition before Uganda’s Family Division of the High Court, Atim asked for full custody of the children, full ownership of the family home in Seguku — a suburb of Kampala — as well as continued financial support for herself and the children. She also requested that Chameleone cover court costs.
Chameleone has rejected some of those demands. While he agreed to continue providing for his children, he argued that the Seguku home should remain in their names rather than being transferred solely to Atim. He also asked the court to ensure he retains access to the children, saying his wife has turned them against him.
“I believe both parents should contribute to the children’s upbringing, as we are both working,” Chameleone said in his response to the court.
The 44-year-old performer, widely regarded as one of East Africa’s most influential musicians, also denied abandoning his family. He said that the decision to relocate the family to the United States in 2018 had been mutual and that he purchased their current home while continuing to provide support.
On Monday, the pair appeared before acting Principal Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga for mediation. Atim was represented by lawyer Emmanuel Wamimbi, while Chameleone was accompanied by counsel Roberts Friday Kagoro. According to Uganda’s New Vision newspaper, the session ended without a settlement, and the case will proceed.
This is not the first time their marriage has faced a public test. In 2017, Atim filed for divorce citing cruelty and domestic violence. In court records from that time, she accused Chameleone of physical and verbal abuse, sometimes in front of their children. She claimed he would return home drunk and assault her, forcing her to hide at friends’ homes and cover her bruises with veils.
Chameleone denied the accusations then, saying on a Facebook livestream that divorce was not an option because of his Catholic faith. He dismissed the claims as attempts by “haters” to undermine him.
The couple later reconciled, but Atim’s latest petition appears to mark the decisive end of their union.
