Cyan Boujee Calls Herself a Victim of Russian Scheme

DJ and influencer Cyan Boujee has spoken candidly about the turmoil she endured after promoting the controversial Alabuga Start programme in Russia.

The initiative, which targeted young women with promises of lucrative work opportunities, was later flagged by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Co-operation as a suspected trafficking scheme.

Cyan – whose real name is Honour Zuma – admitted she failed to investigate properly before endorsing the campaign. The subsequent fallout was swift: she lost brand deals, her TikTok account with more than a million followers was banned, and she says she has struggled with anxiety.

“I lost a lot. I lost some dignity. I have a lot of anxiety. I lost my TikTok account,” she said during an interview with a local podcast on Thursday, 11 September.

The 24-year-old content creator insists, however, that she too was deceived. “More than anything, I’m a victim,” she claimed, adding that her family and team were subjected to public backlash.

While in Russia, Cyan says she noticed red flags and even sent warnings to her publicist about unhappy participants. Reflecting on the scandal, she described it as a painful but valuable lesson for influencers to be wary of opportunities that appear too good to be true.

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