The “Joostgate” video scandal dominated the press when it broke earlier this year - and now, in the July issue of Marie Claire, Amor Vittone gives her most in-depth interview yet, to editor Kate Wilson, sharing details that have never before made it into print.
Amor posed for the magazine in an exclusive cover and fashion shoot, and shared personal photographs from her childhood and marriage to Joost van der Westhuizen for the feature Taking the bull by the horns.
Wilson said: “We decided to interview Amor and put her for the cover because, right now, she is a woman under fire for making the decision to believe her husband's version of events and we are a magazine that champions women's right to make their own choices, public or personal. Regardless of the truth of the allegations, her story will resonate with other women.”
In a country without a real celebrity culture, the South African public tuned into the “Joostgate” “updates” with unprecedented fervour, prompting the magazine to investigate the events and the press coverage on a more critical level.
“It was obvious from the huge public reaction that South Africa really cares about this couple,” adds Wilson. “We wanted to examine that relationship in the context of the media frenzy. Rugby and Afrikaans music are two entertainment categories with a loyal and passionate following in this country and the so-called ‘celebrities' who belong to them have to surrender a certain level of privacy. We wanted to look at whether this is really justified in an SA context.” The analysis of pop culture and the public's relationship to celebrities is a recurring subject in the magazine.
“We look at all kinds of issues affecting women - and that doesn't have to mean domestic violence or breast cancer,” says Wilson. “Infidelity is something many women fear in their relationships, and this was an opportunity to look at how one woman in the public eye is dealing with this kind of uncertainty. This is also a magazine that celebrates strong women, and having met her, Amor strikes me as incredibly strong.”
The July issue of Marie Claire magazine is now available at leading retailers and bookstores countrywide.
