Pearl Thusi: Riky Rick's Death Sparks Frank Mental Health Discussions, SA Shares a Mouthful: "I'm Not OK!"
- Media personality Pearl Thusi headed online to spark a frank conversation around mental health following Riky Rick's death
- The actress expressed shock and opened up about her dismay over the rapper's unexpected demise, allegedly resulting from suicide
- South Africans flooded Pearl's mentions as they opened up about their various personal struggles and even thoughts about causing self-harm
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Actress Pearl Thusi is among the many Mzansi celebs expressing their heartache and shock over rapper Riky Rick's passing. This has reignited discussions around mental health and the role social media plays in exacerbating the psycho-social ill.
Briefly News recently reported that the acclaimed rapper allegedly committed suicide at his north Joburg home on Wednesday morning before then-rumours about the incident surfaced online.
Source: Instagram
Taking to Twitter in the wake of the confirmation of his death, Pearl, like many others in the entertainment space, cut an inconsolable figure.
The personality has, seemingly, now taken the onus to inspire frank conversations among her fans and followers, and her latest post ensures that there is no ambiguity in what is being asked of them.
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"Are you OK? Be honest," she tweeted.
The concise yet deliberate tweet sparked a torrent of responses as Mzansi heeded the call by flooding the presenter's mentions. The stories about people's struggles were plentiful, painting a sombre picture of the reality of depression and anxiety.
SA opens up about depression
The tweet gathered 14 000 likes, 1 600 retweets and 2 500 comments at the time of publishing this story. Briefly News takes a look at the alarming response to the post below.
@MokwenaAndile
"No, I'm a first-year student. I am so lonely. I go to campus so happy every morning mara once I arrive everyone is with their friends and I'm all alone. Every time I'm free I go to the toilets and cry. I miss my mom. I don't even have money for books I write on paper. But kuzolunga."
@Mydali_Lebeko said:
"I'm not ok. I fight to live EVERY DAY. I live alone and it gets so lonely I've started talking to myself. When I get to that very dark space I open a bottle of wine, cry and tell myself to man up. It's tiring."
@Noir_Xhosa_ added:
"Why are we here? How long will we suffer? Is there a better life on the other side I've got nothing left in me really, I act like I'm okay and joke around but deep down I wanna rest eternally? I'm not OK, Pearl."
Minnie Dlamini voices her heartbreak over Riky Rick's death
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that media personality Minnie Dlamini recently sent shockwaves rippling across Mzansi when she announced that she and her husband of more than four years, Quinton Jones, had filed for divorce.
The actress and model served up more of the same when she tweeted about her dismay following Riky Rick's death. Since then, celebrity friends and fans have denounced cyberbullying, as this is thought to have led to his reported suicide.
Minnie, in a later tweet, surprised her followers when shared the extent of her devastation. She wrote:
"I won't tell a word of a lie: I am broken!!! Today’s news could've easily been me."
If you are feeling suicidal or are thinking about hurting yourself, do not hesitate to call the SA Suicide Crisis Line at 0800 567 567.
If you are concerned that someone you know might be in danger of hurting themselves, please alert your local authorities for immediate assistance. You can also encourage the person to contact a suicide prevention hotline using the information above.
Help is available on the Suicide Crisis Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and counsellors can conduct calls in all 11 official languages.
Source: Briefly News
