Actress and media personality Pearl Thusi is breaking her silence in Netflix’s highly anticipated docu-series Beauty and The Bester, revealing how she narrowly survived a harrowing encounter with convicted criminal Thabo Bester, infamously known as the “Facebook Rapist.”
The three-part series is set to premiere on 12 September and promises emotionally raw revelations and investigative depth.
In the recently released trailer, Pearl appears visibly emotional as she recounts the frightening moment she came face-to-face with Thabo more than a decade ago.
How far would she go for love? This three-part documentary series examines Dr Nandipha’s connection to Thabo Bester’s outrageous prison escape. Beauty And The Bester, only on Netflix 12 September. pic.twitter.com/4kthZpPLrz
— NetflixSA (@NetflixSA) August 20, 2025
In a 2012 affidavit reported by Sunday World, she explained that she pleaded with him not to steal her laptop because it contained photographs of her daughter.
She further described how she tried to appeal to him on a personal level by offering counselling at her church and encouraging him to seek a different path.
According to The South African, Pearl remembered being handed or thrown a knife during the encounter, which she placed in the back of her vehicle.
She later introduced Thabo to musician-turned-preacher Kabelo Mabalane, gave him a Bible inscribed with a personal note, and drove him to Kabelo’s home in Sandton before the situation de-escalated. Pearl only became fully aware of Thabo’s criminal record and violent history after seeing reports in the media.
The documentary includes wider perspectives on Thabo’s crimes, with interviews and investigative material that trace his relationship with Nandipha Magudumana and the pair’s 2022 prison escape. Netflix confirmed that Nandipha’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, is among those interviewed.
Thabo and Nandipha remain in custody and are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein High Court on 10 November as they face charges of fraud, escape, and related offenses.
The release of Beauty and The Bester marks the first time Pearl Thusi has spoken extensively about her personal ordeal, adding a survivor’s voice to one of South Africa’s most notorious criminal cases.
First published by African Insider
Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
Also see: Thabo Bester and Nandipha file interdict to halt Netlix documentary