Reality TV star Innocentia “Inno” Morolong has thrown down the gauntlet to television actress Tebogo Thobejane to prove that she accused her of sleeping with the president.
Morolong issued the challenge in the exception papers she filed in the high court in Johannesburg in January, asking the court to dismiss Thobejane’s particulars of claims as embarrassing and vague.
The beef between the two came to the fore in 2022 when Thobejane filed a half-million rands defamation lawsuit against Morolong in the same court.
This after Morolong, she said, took to social media on March 24 2022 and accused her of being a “prostitute” and “sleeping with the president”.
Morolong, said Thobejane, also claimed that she was “a loose woman who sells her body to make money” and that she bonked 20 other men without protection.
She also alleged that Thobejane loved unprotected sex with the same circle of men, and further accused her of doing the horizontal gymnastics with her friends who gave her money to purchase jewelry.
The aggrieved Thobejane said that Morolong’s accusations were not only defamatory but were also understood by many people to mean that she lacked morals.
Thobejane said Morolong does not have the evidence to support her defamatory allegations, which have caused serious financial harm to her business as a social media influencer, well-known trouper, and podcaster.
In the papers that we have seen, Morolong said Thobejane’s particulars of claims were vague and embarrassing and should be dismissed with costs.
“The plaintiff alleges that later, on the same day, on Instagram, the defendant began to falsely accuse the plaintiff of sleeping with the president.
“[The] plaintiff does not mention the date when such comments were made, and on what basis does she conclude that the comments by the defendant were directed against her,” read the papers.
Lampooning Thobejane’s arguments further, Morolong said the Muvhango actress could not even prove that she was a famous actress, podcaster, and entertainer she claims to be.
“The plaintiff fails to provide further details regarding the basis upon which it is alleged that the plaintiff is a well-known actress, podcaster, and entertainer.
“The particulars of the claim fail to lay [the] basis to the effect that [the] defendant has in her alleged live video posted on Instagram, mentioned the plaintiff’s names, which has prompted the plaintiff in believing that the defamatory statements were a direct attack on her,” read the papers.
Furthermore, said Morolong, Thobejane failed to attach the transcribed record of the alleged video in support of her allegations.
She said the sultry trouper’s particulars of claim also failed to make mention that while recording the live video, she mentioned her name, which resulted in her believing that the comments were a direct attack on her.
“The reading of paragraph 13 and 14 suggest that on the 29th March 2022 the defendant posted a video regarding the plaintiff, however, fails to state where was the video posted, and on what basis does the plaintiff suggests that the video and comments stated therein were directed to her,” read the papers.
Morolong also poked more holes in Thobejane’s argument and said she alleged that her language and style were consistent throughout with all communication she had with her when she published her defamatory comments.
“[The] plaintiff has, however, failed to lay basis to her allegations that there has been any communication, and what were the contents of the communications.”
Morolong also said although Thobejane alleged that her false statements and temperamental actions may cause more reputational and financial damage if not dealt with, she failed to state how such damages would be caused.
“Furthermore, she said, it is not clear from the reading of the curvaceous thespian’s particulars of claim, on what basis she pleaded for her to pay her legal costs on attorney and client scale.
“In the premises, the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant is vague, embarrassing, alternatively lacks averments which are necessary to sustain a cause of action against the defendant which renders the plaintiff’s particulars of claim excipiable.
“Wherefore the defendants pray that exception be upheld. The plaintiff’s claim be struck out with costs,” read the papers.
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