Rorisang Mohapi called out trolls after getting body shamed.

• SA actor Rorisang Mohapi condemned body-shaming comments after her appearance at the Bad Influencer premiere, expressing the emotional impact they had on her.
• The incident underscores the pressures celebrities face from societal beauty standards and online trolling.
• Mohapi’s experience highlights the need for respect and awareness of the harm caused by social media negativity.

Imagine dedicating hours to preparing for an exciting event with industry peers and colleagues, only to wake up the next day bombarded with unsolicited, negative remarks about your appearance and body.

For most celebrities, this is an inherent part of stardom.

Body shaming public figures has become commonplace, yet those responsible rarely consider the profound harm their words can inflict. These hurtful comments often leave lasting mental health scars on their victims, scars that are not easily hidden.

Over the years, various local and international stars have shared how negative comments have impacted their confidence.

Celebrities like Nelly Furtado, Ariana Grande, and, closer to home, Cassper Nyovest, have shared personal experiences of online bullying through candid posts.

This week, South African actor Rorisang Mohapi took a stand against the online trolls who made unashamedly derogatory remarks about her body following her appearance at the Bad Influencer premiere event in October.

Mohapi, best known for portraying the villainous role of Palesa on local drama House of Zwide, took to social media app TikTok with a strong message for her bullies:

“The audacity and the nerve you guys had to comment on my body. The body that God gave me that I love, it’s on me,” she said, visibly upset.

Mohapi asserted that while critiques of her fashion choices—such as her white dress paired with red knee-high boots, which she wore to the event—might be acceptable, comments about her body crossed a line.

She also revealed the emotional impact of the remarks, admitting they left her going to bed with a broken heart that night.

Continuing with her video, she added, “What annoys me the most is that I checked your profiles, and I saw a lot of women abadala (elders) that have kids. Others are probably married.”

Despite the negativity, Mohapi emphasised her love for her body and image.

“I love my body, I love my hip dips, I love every imperfection. Whatever is considered imperfect according to you is perfect to me.

“I love my body, I love it, and there’s nothing I want to change about it. I’m not getting a BBL because you don’t like my body,” she added.

Her brave response has stimulated a broader discussion about society’s unrealistic beauty standards. In an era where cosmetic procedures—from Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) and facial fillers to breast augmentations and extreme surgeries like deep plane facelifts—have become increasingly popular, particularly among celebrities, those who choose to embrace their natural bodies face mounting pressure to conform.

This, coupled with the shield of anonymity that comes with social media, has made it easy for trolls to attack celebrities whom they often believe are immune to nasty comments and attacks on their appearance and character.

According to Psychology Today, some people feel that once a person becomes a “public figure” and profits from that status, they relinquish their right to be treated as a regular human being. This perception makes it seem acceptable to be abusive.

From the various posts and statements from stars in South Africa and abroad, this is far from the truth. Mohapi, who recently said I do to fellow actor Prince Grootboom, serves as a reminder of this.

She also serves as a reminder that celebrities are deserving of the same respect and empathy as anyone else - regardless of their star status.

READ | ‘You don’t even know what I’m going through’: Cassper Nyovest speaks out on body shaming