Cyan Boujee defends herself amid Russian program backlash
Cyan Boujee has finally spoken out following days of heavy criticism over her role in promoting the controversial Russian program that has been accused of luring vulnerable young South African women.
On Tuesday, 26 August 2025, the 24-year-old DJ and influencer, whose real name is Honour Zuma, released a video statement addressing the matter.
She admitted she had remained quiet up until now because she was waiting for the organisers of the program to issue a statement themselves.
“I’m going to keep this very short and quick. I’ve been quiet about this matter because, first of all, I’ve been waiting for the programme to actually release a statement on my behalf. I see they’re not taking this seriously because human trafficking is a very serious issue, and I do not support it. I believe this is a huge learning curve for me and all the other influencers, and I don’t think anyone with common sense would repeat something like this,” she said.
Cyan went on to clarify that she was not paid for the campaign, insisting money was not her motivation.
“I want you guys to know that I didn’t do this for money because I haven’t been paid yet. I had other videos to post, I think I had four more videos lined up for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. I was only going to get paid after posting, so I didn’t get any money.”
Alongside the video, she captioned: “I am aware of how serious the situation is, and the team is in communication with the program. I am awaiting a response before releasing another statement, which will include more details.”