Pearl Thusi, a South African actress, DJ, and businesswoman, recently responded to critics who have targeted her on social media. In an honest Instagram video, Thusi tackled the negative comments and delivered a message of self-empowerment to her fans.
Thusi noted that she used to feel compelled to respond to cruel comments on social media. She explained that the latest outpouring of hate resulted from a video she released in which she urged people not to check in on her continually.
“I am struggling to keep up with this hectic information age, with all the content I need to keep up with, the things I need to do, and then with all the people checking up on me. I am looking at the comments, people are accusing me of doing drugs, people are saying I’m high, people are saying I’m old, saying I’m ugly … I don’t know if it’s bots or real people, but a lot of it is in Zulu, so I don’t know if there’s Zulu bots,” Thusi said.
Despite the harsh comments, Thusi explained that she used to let such negativity affect her. She recalled a moment when she became upset with a friend who joked about her behaviour. “Luckily, God has offered me something that I’ve finally accepted – growth,” she said. “I had to remind myself that these things only have the power that I give them to affect me.”
Thusi’s message to her followers was clear: “To you, consider whether this thing deserves that power to affect you. Is it true? No. Is it nice that it’s being said? No. What does it say about the person who is saying it? But the most important question is, ‘Should you let it affect you? No.’”
She went on to advise her followers to protect their peace and not let negativity infiltrate their lives: “Be careful who or what you give permission to affect your day, your energy, your space, your time, your mind, your spirituality… all of that is your responsibility.”
Thusi’s words resonated with her fans, many of whom took to the comments to express their gratitude for her wisdom. @ladydu_sa wrote, “It is not what is said to you that affects you, it’s how you react to it. No human being has the power to destroy another unless God allows it or it’s karma for all the things done to other people. Keep pushing.”
Another fan, @sweet_aesthete, commented, “Refrain from overexplaining yourself, ma’am. Be firm within yourself. You are exactly where you need to be doing what you need to do. Keep shining + you are LOVED.”
