I Won't Take It Anymore

Actress Ingrid Paulus says she’s had enough of nasty comments from cyberbullies

- Cyril Blackburn

FOR 20 years she suffered the verbal abuse in silence, trying to convince herself that people in the public eye often have their share of criticism and insults. After all, her two decades on 7de Laan have taught her fame comes with both perks and pitfalls.

Each new incident of cyberbullying hurt more than the last but Ingrid Paulus, aka Vanessa Meintjies on the popular SABC2 soap, bore it with stoi­cism. But no longer.

In a frank interview with YOU, Ingrid says the turning point came when she recently became a mom for a second time at 42. She couldn’t keep quiet any longer – not if she had any hope of being a positive role model to her two daughters.

So when she came across the ump­ teenth attack on her appearance on social media, she decided enough was enough.

“There it was in black and white, ‘Ag no, you’re fat!’” she recalls.

“That single comment was the spark that lit the fuse inside me. This time I couldn’t just look away. I knew I had to say something – for me, for my daughters and for every woman in this busi­ ness.”

So she took to Facebook to break her silence.

“For 20 years I’ve played the role of Vanessa and I always try to take the good with the bad,” she wrote. “Being criticised is part of the job, but as a human being with feelings I’ve had enough of people saying disgusting, ugly things about me on social media.