Actress Samkelo Ndlovu has spoken out about her decision to temporarily deactivate her Instagram account, citing online backlash as the reason.
The Rhythm City and Adulting star opened up during her appearance on The Relebogile Mabotja Podcast, where she reflected on her acting journey, childhood experiences, and spiritual growth.
In May, shortly after the finale of Showmax’s hit drama Adulting, Samkelo decided to step back from social media. The finale shocked viewers with the tragic death of Tsiki Tsiki, a fan-favourite character played by Nhlanhla Kunene, who was stabbed by his girlfriend, Samkelo’s character.
While the storyline was fictional, many fans blurred the line between reality and TV, directing anger at Samkelo personally. She revealed that she was bombarded with insults, threats, and confrontations online.
“The way the show ended was a Shakespearean tragedy,” she explained. “People got so invested that they couldn’t separate me from my role. I haven’t played a villain before, and this character isn’t even a villain — she’s more of an anti-hero.”
The negativity eventually took a toll, prompting her to deactivate Instagram. However, Samkelo stressed that the move wasn’t dramatic but intentional.
“It was a deactivation. Temporary, of course. I’ll come back. I’m the same girl who deactivated Twitter in 2020 and never went back. I give myself permission to leave spaces that do not align with me.”
She added that she shared the decision openly for the sake of her loyal fans.
“The only reason I put it out there was because I have real fans who have loved me for 15 years and deserve to know why they won’t find my page for now.”
For Samkelo, stepping away was also about giving audiences space to process the shocking ending.
“I felt the need to give people space to grieve a fictional character on TV,” she said.
