The most bizarre thing i've NEVER heard of until i came across it on a soap site

Okay, maybe I'm even more out of the loop than I thought, but came across a totally weird news blurb and link and followed it to what turned out to be a soap site (soapcentral.com) -- so I'm posting it (mostly) without comment. At first I thought it might be one of those goofy April Fool's stories that many sites engage love to 'spoof' their readers with, but look at the date. I've never seen anything quite like it myself.

Kola Wars: bin Laden's Mistress is Fired
Posted Monday, July 17, 2006 9:53:46 PM
Updated Tuesday, July 18, 2006 3:09:32 PM

Days of our Lives has fired one of the most infamous writers in its 30-year history. The move ends what turned out to be a far more controversial moment for the NBC soap than anyone would have thought.

Kola Boof, a Sudanese-born novelist and poet, had been serving as a ghost writer for Days of our Lives. According to some sources, Boof has written most, if not all, of the story material that will air this summer. If true, it would seemingly indicate that now-former head writer James E. Reilly was let go earlier than initially believed. As previously reported by soapcentral.com, multiple Emmy winner Hogan Sheffer will assume the head writer position in August.

And in true soap opera style, Boof has a secret connection - but not to anyone on the show. Boof is the former mistress of the terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. The complete details of Boof's past with bin Laden is chronicled in her autobiography, Diary of a Lost Girl. In 2003, however, Boof's relationship with bin Laden was revealed to be against her will and more akin to slavery than an affair.

Through her work on daytime television, Boof joked that she hoped to attain a much lower profile.

"I can now focus on writing far less controversial material and become a soccer mom to my two sons," Boof said. "I only wish my adopted Grandmother was alive to see me actually writing her [favorite] soap opera!"

Whether or not Boof was really penning the show's plots remains very much in dispute. Though show sources say that was the case, an official show statement hints that Boof had little to do with what was seen on screen.

"Yes, Kola Boof has had writing assignments from Days since May," DAYS' co-executive producer Stephen Wyman said in a statement. "However, she does not hold a staff position with our writing team."

Boof's name will first appear in the DAYS credits on August 8th, which is ironically the last day Reilly's name will be shown as head writer.

Site and original story here.