Pop star Sinitta has revealed that she was once homeless, living in her car during the 1990s after struggling with a huge tax bill. The 80s singer, best known for hits like 'So Macho' and 'Toy Boy', opened up about her ordeal on the ITV show Loose Women, fighting back tears as she recalled the shame and embarrassment of her situation.
Sinitta, a close friend of Simon Cowell, explained that she had not managed her finances well and panicked when faced with a large tax bill. She sold her house to pay the debt but was too proud to ask friends for help, leaving her with nowhere to live. 'I knee-jerked sold the house to pay my tax bill and gave up the house to a friend,' she said.
The singer described how she kept her homelessness a secret, maintaining appearances as 'happy Sinitta' while sleeping in her car. She used public amenities for showers, stored her clothes in self-storage, and survived on a tight budget for food. 'On the outside everything looked great and fine but I was actually sleeping in my car,' she said, her voice breaking.
Sinitta admitted that the most challenging part was not the physical discomfort but the shame and embarrassment of being homeless despite her celebrity status. She reflected that she probably should have taken financial advice or taken out a mortgage, but as a young person, she was just trying to manage.
