Throwback Photo of Nonhle Thema With Rihanna Silences Doubters Who Questioned It-Girl Claims

• A throwback picture of Nonhle Thema posing with Rihanna resurfaced on X, reigniting debate about the TV personality's influence on Hollywood and Mzansi
• The image emerged after Nonhle went viral for claiming she introduced South Africans to Twitter during an interview on 947 Drive with Thando Thabethe
• Some doubters, including Somizi, who pulled cheeky faces in a TikTok clip seemingly mocking Nonhle, were silenced by some fans who rushed to her defence, pointing to the photo as proof of her star power

Haters were made to eat humble pie following a resurfaced picture of Nonhle Thema posing alongside Rihanna. During the height of a fierce debate about just how big the South African TV personality really was in her prime, fans insisted the image proves she was never exaggerating.

After Nonhle's interview with Thando Thabethe on 947 Drive went viral, where she made the bold claim that she was the person who introduced South Africa to Twitter, opinions were divided and triggered a wave of mockery online. TV and radio personality Somizi added fuel to the fire with a cheeky TikTok clip in which he pulled faces and laughed, appearing to poke fun at her remarks.

Read also

Somizi Mhlongo mocks Nonhle Thema's interview following explosive claims

Nonhle rubs shoulders with Riri

For those who never doubted her claims, the Rihanna photo told a different story entirely. X user @MVProJileka was among those who rallied behind Nonhle, pointing out that younger audiences simply don't know the extent of her influence during her peak years.

"Ama2000s think Nonhle Thema is lying when she says she used to be big and influenced a lot of Hollywood stars, including Rihanna! If only they knew how big that girl really was back in the day!"

Below are some of the responses:

@destinyzee: "Mara vele at that time we all ran to twitter cause of Nonhle Thema 😄"

@PROWESSSibz: "Nonhle is who most of these influencers think they are. She contributed most to the industry! ❤️"

@MVProJileka: "She's the pioneer."

@philietkn: "First to ever have a reality show in Hollywood. I'd also lose my mind 🤣🤣🤣"

Nonhle's old posts resurface

In a previous report from Briefly News, peeps dug up Nonhle Thema's old posts after her interview with Thando Thabethe on 947 reignited debate about her attitude.

Read also

Nonhle Thema’s infamous 15-year-old tweets resurface after viral interview

The 15-year-old posts show Thema boasting about her fame and riches, while also dragging other top stars unprovoked.

Source: Briefly News