Model breaks down over slurs
WHEN model, actress and well-known shopping mall brand ambassador Pelisha Somiah ended a relationship with a friend, she turned to social media for comfort. But the 28-year-old was unprepared for the backlash she would receive.
Her life has been turned upside down, with her becoming a victim of cyber bullying, she claims.
All she had posted on Facebook, she told POST, was the question whether it was right to return gifts exchanged during a friendship when that relationship ended.
“I never expected a simple question to brew to such an extent,” Somiah said, adding she became the target of social media trolls.
“The situation escalated rapidly. I was now called degrading names, attentionseeker, mall rat and spoilt. I had posed this question not for anything but some form of clarity… People making these harsh comments were only focused on painting me in a bad light instead of the truth that lies behind the status. They have even made pages such as #Pelishamustfall.
“I broke down when I was called a gold-digger and a cheat, and when I tried to speak up, people chose to see only what they wanted to.” The turning point for Somiah came when her family was targeted, as well as her career, she said.
“I would not tolerate my family’s name being dragged into this situation or them being harassed on a daily basis. There have also been fake profiles made to degrade me and tarnish my name, which I am working hard at building.”
A Facebook page was formed in support of Somiah, We Stand With Pelisha Somiah, which she says is a relief as there are clearly some people who believe in her.
“Although I am in the entertainment industry, I am still human. Many people would try to paint me as this horrible person, an attention-seeker and even a bully, but all I am trying to do is break a mould.
“I am trying to show women in general you can do whatever your heart desires, and that no matter what people say or do to discourage and break you, you should be strong and fight for what is right and what you believe in.”