Actress and YouTuber Lerato Nxumalo has shared why she declined a role in the popular Netflix telenovela The Polygamist.
In a video posted online on 6 July, she said she was offered a part where she would play a woman living with HIV who infects someone with the virus and then leaves the show. She explained that she was afraid people would confuse her with the character and associate her name with the storyline.
Her comments sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some users felt her reasoning was problematic and could reinforce stigma around HIV, while others questioned whether she had other reasons for turning down the role since she had previously played a prostitute on the soap opera Scandal! without similar concerns.
tjo, how old is she? :’( pic.twitter.com/87rXIpSieC
— Diet Coke (@Compaqllow) July 6, 2026
The Polygamist, produced by Stained Glass TV, has drawn widespread attention since its release, even catching the interest of international celebrities like Taraji P. Henson and Sherri Shepherd. Viewers have praised the cast, particularly Gugu Gumede, whose performance as Joyce Gomora has been widely applauded. Some fans noted that her long run on Uzalo had made it hard to see her in roles closer to her real age, but she has won them over with her work on the new show.