A feud between South African influencer Onezwa Mbola and popular TikTok star in the US, Nara Smith has intensified, culminating in Nara threatening legal action against Onezwa for defamation.
The conflict began when Onezwa, a MasterChef SA contestant renowned for her from-scratch cooking videos, accused Nara of copying her content, style, and even voice-over techniques.
Nara Smith, who was also born in South Africa, has 7.7 million followers and over 300 million likes on TikTok. She responded by sending a formal demand letter to Onezwa. In the letter, she addressed the allegations head-on:
“I am writing to address a serious matter regarding your recent statements accusing me of stealing your content. You have publicly claimed that I stole your videos related to Boba tea and mozzarella cheese, which is untrue and damaging to my reputation,” Smith wrote. She emphasized that these allegations were entirely false and had caused significant harm to her personal and professional reputation.
“These allegations are entirely false. The videos in question are not my original creations, and I have all the necessary proof of this on the social media platform TikTok. Your false accusations have caused significant harm to my personal and professional reputation,” she continued. Nara demanded a public retraction from Onezwa, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action for defamation. “This email serves as a formal notice that if you don’t retract your statements and cease making defamatory claims immediately, I will have no choice but to pursue legal action against you for defamation of character. I strongly urge you to take this matter seriously and to address it promptly to avoid further legal consequences.”
Nara concluded her letter by stating, “I expect your prompt response and a public retraction of your false claims.”
The feud traces back to accusations that Nara began mimicking Onezwa’s distinctive style of cooking videos, which feature ingredients she has raised, grown, or foraged herself.
According to The Citizen, Onezwa’s calm, step-by-step explanations have earned her over 86K followers on Instagram. In contrast, Nara’s content shifted significantly over the past year, incorporating food and family elements that bore a striking resemblance to Onezwa’s approach.
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Online, fans of Onezwa have pointed out the similarities and accused Nara of copying Onezwa’s persona and recipes. The debate has also highlighted the disparity in earnings, with TikTok’s creator fund unavailable to South African creators like Onezwa, while Nara potentially benefits financially from her large following.
Despite the mounting pressure, Onezwa has yet to publicly respond to Nara’s demand letter, leaving followers on both sides awaiting the next development in this high-profile social media conflict.
