SA Reacts After Pearl Thusi Opens Up About Knife Incident With Thabo Bester in Netflix Docuseries
- Pearl Thusi shared how she narrowly escaped death after an encounter with Thabo Bester on the Netflix documentary Beauty and the Bester
- Netizens expressed mixed reactions, with some questioning Pearl Thusi's version of events
- Pearl Thusi isn't the only South African celebrity who had an encounter with Thabo Bester as revealed by the Netflix documentary
Source: Getty Images
South Africans shared mixed reactions after renowned media personality Pearl Thusi shared her near-death encounter with Thabo Bester on the Netflix docuseries Beauty and the Bester.
Netflix had teased viewers that Pearl Thusi would share details of her relationship with convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester. The docuseries premiered on Netflix on Friday, 12 September 2025, after the Pretoria High Court tossed Bester and his alleged accomplice, Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s bid to block it.
The three-part docuseries shared details about his life, including how he allegedly faked his death and escaped from prison. It also featured Pearl Thusi sharing a terrifying knife incident with Thabo Bester.
Pearl Thusi recalls near-death encounter with Thabo Bester
Netflix SA shared a snippet of Pearl Thusi sharing how she escaped a near-death encounter with Thabo Bester. She alleged that Bester lured her with the promise of a TV presenting gig.
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“He’s genuinely crazy. I don't know what specifically drew him to me. Back then, Facebook was a big thing. That is how Thabo got hold of me. It was some sort of a TV hosting gig,” she said.
When she arrived at the rendezvous, Thabo Bester got into the car. She shared how the drive quickly turned terrifying after he told her to turn left, and she realised they were driving towards a dead end.
“As I turned to look at him, he's already drawn the knife. My mind is racing, my adrenaline is pumping. I'd never felt so stupid,” she added.
Despite the threat, the former Scorpion Kings actress shared how she remained calm and encouraged Thabo Bester to see her pastor.
“I think I asked him, ‘Why are you doing this?’ or he starts a monologue about his life and how hard it has been. For me, as a young Christian woman, this was a huge opportunity to do the right thing, and I really believed that I was about to help someone. I said, ‘Give your life to God or do speak to my pastor,’ and at some point, he agreed. He sold his story to Pastor Gift as well,” Pearl Thusi said.
Watch the video below:
SA reacts to Pearl Thusi's Thabo Bester story
Reacting to Pearl Thusi’s appearance on Beauty and the Bester, entertainment commentator Jabu Macdonald shared that the 37-year-old actress should never have appeared on the Netflix documentary. The post was captioned:
“Pearl Thusi should have never agreed to be part of ‘Beauty and the Bester’ 💀”
In the comment section under Jabu Macdonald’s post, netizens slammed Pearl Thusi for agreeing to appear on Beauty and the Bester. While some shared why she probably appeared in the documentary, others suggested that she was lying about her encounter with Bester.
Here are some of the reactions:
@mutuki_MR claimed:
“She was paid to be there. We need that cheque also. Plus, she’s also an actress, so this could be her acting as well.”
@kgotsohopelekau said:
“She fails her brand always.”
@Finestudd shared:
“Her story didn’t make sense at all. It was a bunch of nothing for screen time.”
@NgavuNtomb51410 said:
“And I think she is not telling us the whole story.”
@Tumelo_kaThoko declared:
“She had no choice.”
Source: Getty Images
Which celebrities encountered Thabo Bester?
Apart from Pearl Thusi, Thabo Bester also had encounters with other celebrities, as reported by Briefly News.
Thabo Bester once organised a party while in prison, and it was a star-studded event that was attended by a popular actress, an ex-SABC reporter, among other famous South Africans.
Source: Briefly News
