A South African court rejected Thabo Bester's attempt to prevent Netflix from releasing a documentary about his criminal history. The convicted rapist and his partner, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, argued the three-part series would damage their reputations. Judge Sulet Potterill dismissed their petition on Friday, stating they had failed to demonstrate genuine urgency. The streaming platform immediately released Beauty and the Bester following the court decision. Both defendants remain free to pursue defamation lawsuits after the broadcast airs.
Bester earned notoriety as the Facebook rapist after using social media to target victims before his 2012 conviction. Authorities sentenced him to life imprisonment for murdering his model girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu, and attacking two additional women. The criminal allegedly orchestrated an elaborate prison escape in 2022 by staging his death during a fire. He spent one year hiding in Johannesburg under a false identity, with Magudumana's assistance, before their capture in Tanzania in April 2023.
Bester earned notoriety as the Facebook rapist after using social media to target victims before his 2012 conviction. Authorities sentenced him to life imprisonment for murdering his model girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu, and attacking two additional women. The criminal allegedly orchestrated an elaborate prison escape in 2022 by staging his death during a fire. He spent one year hiding in Johannesburg under a false identity, with Magudumana's assistance, before their capture in Tanzania in April 2023.
