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Zodwa Wabantu, Lady Zamar, Bonang Matheba - where do we draw the line between critique and bullying?

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Bonang Matheba has been shamed for her love life countless times
Bonang Matheba has been shamed for her love life countless times

Celebrities have flip flopped between deleting their social media accounts and reinstating them due to being bullied online. This isn't anything new and fans will be fans, but they often go overboard and don't know where to draw the line that separates cordial critique from bullying. 

Recently, Lady Zamar received harsh criticism for her style choices. This is not the first time and according to TimesLive.co.za, she's not going to "change who she is to try and fit people's expectations of her despite the constant bashing". 

It might not seem like bullying to those who are doing it, but - by definition - bullying includes posting negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. Lady Zamar's case is only the tip of the iceberg. Over the past several months, women have been bashed on social media for reasons ranging from their love lives and career choices, to what they do with their bodies. 

READ MORE: When Star Wars fans turned into bullies 

Zodwa Wabantu has received lots of negative remarks about her choice of style and about what she does with her body. In an interview with Channel24, she explains that she's told that she's ugly and that she's not good enough. While many women have praised her for taking charge of her own body and standing up for herself, she has been shamed for her claim to fame.

Ariana Grande was attacked on social media after the passing of rapper Mac Milller. Social media users and fans of the rapper lashed out on her and blamed her for his death, bringing in the fact that she and Mac used to date before her current relationship. This didn't force Ariana to leave social media, but instead she responded, as Tammy February reports in an article, with a tweet that went into detail about how she tried her best to support him, but that she wasn’t willing to stay in a relationship that was ultimately unhealthy and harmful to her. 

Ruby Rose deleted her Twitter account when she was bashed for being given a role as Batwoman. According to another W24 article, the actress was happy about her new role, but she eventually deleted her Twitter account following the backlash she received for apparently not being 'gay enough' for the role. Users on social media were attacking her and her sexual orientation and it became too demeaning for her to handle. 

Bonang Matheba was the subject of attacks on her love life and her relationships with musicians AKA, D'Banj and Slikour. The media personality has opted for fighting back and taking a stand against naysayers, giving us the most iconic clapback of the century to a tweep who commented on her love life.

READ MORE: How Flabba's girlfriend, Sindisiwe Manqele wants to use graduating while still in prison to right her wrongs 

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