Leaked Messages Suggest Reality TV Contestant Asked Man for Money A reality show scandal has morphed into a morality play: a 29‑year‑old contestant, a 70‑year‑old admirer, and a family scrambling to deny they ever cashed in on him. Now, leaked messages are shredding that narrative in real time.

The build‑up: denials and a polished image

For weeks, Brankica Janićijević has been on defense, flatly rejecting any role in the alleged emotional and financial exploitation of 70‑year‑old North Macedonian retiree Dane Angelovski. Her daughter, “Elita 9” participant Sofia, had presented herself on TV as a self‑made success, a “successful businesswoman and owner of a luxury furniture salon,” carefully curating distance from any hint of dependency.

The leak: “Honey, send my mom money for the loan”

That façade cracked on May 20, when tabloids published alleged message exchanges between Sofia and Angelovski. In them, Sofia is said to plead over her mother’s debts: “What will I do about my mom’s loan?! I totally forgot. If you can during the week, honey, send her money for the loan, I’ll tell her to check the messages.”

Another message shows her walking him through how to wire cash: she says she showed Brankica “what to save today, when you sent me that Western,” and even had her mother store his number in her phone.

The spin: who used whom?

Pro‑government outlets have gone for the jugular, framing the Janićijević family as relentless takers — “Dedu finansijera’s mother milked him non‑stop,” one headline blasts. They underscore Sofia’s own admission that she maintained a relationship with a man 41 years older “for financial benefit,” while repeatedly invoking her mother’s “poor financial situation” to secure money for both women.

Sofia has tried to normalize the arrangement, noting Dane stayed one night in the family home and describing their dynamic bluntly: his “pleasure” was her presence and affection; hers was the stream of gifts — including a gold ring she admits she didn’t even like.

In the court of Serbian tabloid opinion, the verdict is already in. Outside it, the leaked chats raise a more uncomfortable question: where is the line between reality‑TV romance, transactional companionship, and outright exploitation?