Singer and actress Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku recently took to social media to weigh in on the Skeem Saam rape issue and to share her own experience regarding consent and boundaries.
NIRVANA NOKWE: ‘I FET UNSAFE’
The Outlaws and Red Ink actress Nirvana Nokwe reveals in a series of posts on X that her boundaries were violated while filming a rape scene on set.
“These dialogues sparked by the Skeem Saam episode really go to show how poor and disorganized our ideas of consent and violation are. I am writing to share an experience I had during a recent project on set, involving a violation of my personal boundaries in a scene where the character I was playing was being murdered and r*ped,” she writes.
Nokwe adds that before the scene, the parties involved clearly understood the sensitivity of the scene.
“Extensive discussions were had we had, and they reaffirmed the physical, emotional and psychological boundaries in place, as well as precautionary measures and aftercare to ensure the safety and wellness of both actors performing the scene as well as the crew,” she adds.
[READ HER POSTS BELOW]
These dialogues sparked by the Skeem Saam episode really go to show how poor and disorganised our ideas of consent and violation are. I am writing to share an experience I had during a recent project on set, involving a violation of my personal boundaries in a scene where the…
Nokwe also recently revealed that she’s not returning to Showmax’s popular drama series, Outlaws where she plays the role of Sihle Biyela.
She confirms in a statement on Instagram that she won’t be part of season two.
“Farewell Outlaws ♥️💐🐎 a monumental story you have been. ☺️🙏🏽”
Nokwe previously revealed to Sunday World that she was attracted to the role when she first read the script.
She says Sihle represents a well-rounded view of what it means to be a Zulu girl.
“I love how innocent she is, and how the level of her light is also indicative of the level of her darkness.”
Her character will also do anything for genuine love and she’s an intuitive woman and thinks people can manipulate that side of her.
Nokwe-Mseleku also says there were moments where she thought her performance was terrible but came out beautifully.
The incident took place on set during a typical night of filming, where most of us expected professionalism and respect. The parties involved, clearly understood the sensitivity of the scene and we had extensively discussed and reaffirmed the physical, emotional and psychological…
I felt uncomfortable and unsafe due to actions that crossed my personal boundaries. Now let’s define boundaries: Boundaries are personal limits or rules that individuals establish to protect their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. They help define what is…
My physical & psychological boundaries were: no simulation of the act of r*pe. Under no circumstances is my costar to thrust his pelvis into mine. The rape could be implied in a close up—it was rehearsed that he would push me over the car bonnet lay on my back to whisper in my…
It is unfortunate that my costar violated physically boundaries, emotional as well as psychological too. We shot many variations of the scene. & during my close up, in the most vulnerable and compromised position, after my costar came out of the frame and he took it upon himself…
Just before the close-up, my costar tried to negotiate the perimeters in which were agreed to and understood by all of us. “It’s a big moment, maybe you want to consider it. Give a little flinch, take it further” I ask him “what do you mean consider it? The scene has been blocked…
To emphasise how extensively these boundaries were clarified, I took initiative to conduct a thorough consent exercise, to clearly define my red zones and my green zones—areas he could touch and areas he was absolutely not allowed to touch. My pelvis being one of them. I asked…
The experience has impacted my sense of safety and confidence in my work environment. More so, the disappointment in hearing the management reiterate to me his statement saying “I just got carried away” and to me “I take full accountability for what I did. But it’s a tense scene,…
Initially, leaders acknowledged the situation with commitments to address it appropriately through mediation meetings and written apologies. However, these promises were followed by silence, leaving the issue unresolved.
It is disheartening to see that my request for a simple remedy of therapy and a written apology, which was later agreed upon as therapy and a mediated meeting, was met with hostility, gaslighting, and intimidation, ultimately leading to inaction. This situation reflects broader…
If you’re wondering, yes I did take their advice. I opened a case. Was redirected to five police stations, which luckily, all clearly understood where the violation occurred. Except for one, my investigative officer who did not even understand the definition of s*xual assault and…
A new day is coming in South Africa. I’m so happy we’re having these dialogues. We are all going to learn. We are all going to be sensitised. We are all going to heal. But for now, we share our stories, we debate, we educate, we assert as an act of transformation and protection…
