Actress Samkelo Ndlovu has opened up about her decision to temporarily deactivate her Instagram account after facing an overwhelming wave of online backlash. The Rhythm City and Adulting star recently shared her side of the story on The Relebogile Mabotja Podcast, where she spoke about her journey in acting, her childhood, and her spiritual growth.
In May, Samkelo deactivated her Instagram following the finale of Adulting, a popular Showmax series that left viewers heartbroken. The last episode ended with the shocking death of Tsiki Tsiki, a fan-favourite character played by Nhlanhla Kunene. The character’s tragic death — being stabbed by his girlfriend, played by Samkelo,left fans devastated.
However, many viewers struggled to separate fiction from reality. What began as passionate reactions to the storyline soon turned into personal attacks aimed directly at Samkelo. She revealed that she received insults, threats, and even comments from people who confronted her about her on-screen actions.
“The way the show ended was a Shakespearean tragedy,” she explained. “It ends in a murder, and my character is the one who kills the other character. 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. But people felt it so deeply that they started speaking to me online as if I was her.”
The constant negativity took a toll, leading the actress to step back from Instagram. But she stressed that her decision wasn’t dramatic — it was intentional.
“It was a deactivation. Temporary, of course. I’ll come back,” Samkelo said. “I’m the same girl who deactivated Twitter and never felt the need to return. I give myself permission to leave spaces that do not align with me. I haven’t been on Twitter since 2020, it’s been five years, and I never felt the need to go back.”
She added that she chose to speak openly about it because of her loyal supporters. “The only reason I put it out there was because I have real fans, people who have loved me for 15 years and deserve to know why they won’t find my page for now.”
For Samkelo, the decision was also about allowing fans to process their grief. “I felt the need to give people space to grieve a fictional character on TV,” she explained.
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