The Sad Reason Doja Cat Has Never Met Her Biological Father

Doja Cat has long spoken of her family's impact on her creativity. She credited her mom, in particular, with fostering a love of hip-hop. Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer isn't her only creative parent, though. Doja's father, Dumisani Dlamini, is a South African performer himself. However, they've never met in person. 

Born in 1995 to Sawyer and Dlamini, Doja Cat — whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini – has often said that she has no recollection of her father. Back in 2019, during an interview with Radio One D.C., a visibly uncomfortable Doja explained that while she knew he was a well-known performer, that was about it. She also explained that she wouldn't be opposed to changing that at some point — but that she'd attempted to contact him when she was 13, and not much had come of it. Not long after, a clip emerged of Doja speaking to Whoopi Goldberg, who had co-starred in the 1992 film, "Sarafina!" with Dlamini. After revealing that her father had played Crocodile in the film, Doja again pointed out that they hadn't met. "I didn't get to meet him, but you did ... dammit," she smiled.

As for what prevented that meeting, Doja has left a few clues. Her father has spoken about the situation, too. However, several years since Doja first revealed that they didn't know each other, that hasn't changed. 

Though Doja Cat didn't go into detail about what had happened when she tried to make plans with Dumisani Dlamini in her early teens, she hinted that his schedule had something to do with it. "He's, you know, probably still doing ... stuff," the "Balut" rapper mused to Radio One D.C. Two years later, speaking to Rolling Stone, she explained that her mom had always told her he was on tour. A friend revealed to the outlet that the situation had taken a toll on Doja, especially when she was younger. "She'd say, 'My dad is gonna come, he lives in Africa, he's just performing,' and he wouldn't come," Gabrielle Hames recounted. 

Dlamini had a different view. Speaking to South African radio station Metro FM, the performer slammed American media for spreading the story. He claimed it was a publicity stunt — and also alleged that his attempts at reaching out to Doja had been thwarted by her management. His take was that her team was concerned that if they'd reconnected, Doja might feel compelled to step away from her career. Pushed for whether they'd had a relationship prior to the headlines, he said they'd spoken before.

Nevertheless, like his daughter, Dlamini said he wouldn't be opposed to meeting in the future. In fact, he expressed that he wanted her to reconnect with her Zulu roots. 

Despite all the he-said, she-said surrounding their relationship (or lack thereof), it's worth noting that both Doja Cat and Dumisani Dlamini have expressed support for one another professionally. In a number of her interviews, Doja has doubled down on her father's talent, telling Djvlad that though she'd always known he was an actor, composer, and dancer, she'd only realized just how good he was the day before when her mom showed her YouTube videos. 

The same goes for Dlamini. As he said in an interview with GQ South Africa, "I'm so proud of her for what she has achieved." He's also taken to Instagram to share pictures and videos of Doja on many occasions — even calling out critics who had unkind words for her red-carpet looks. On top of that, he's shared a clip from an interview where she discovered that he was a rapper and producer, in addition to a dancer. 

That said, it seems these two are still yet to have a solid father-daughter relationship. This became especially apparent in September 2023, when South Africa's Sunday World reported that she hadn't been present at his wedding. Neither Doja nor Dumisani commented on the matter, so it's not clear if she'd been invited in the first place. However, one insider who spoke to the outlet claimed they still hadn't met in person. Time will tell if they ever do.