Things are heating up between two popular TikTok stars, Nara Smith and chef Onezwa Mbola.
Over the past week, a dispute over whose content is original and if Smith was stealing ideas from Mbola gained attention from social media users worldwide. The disagreement kicked off after Smith shared a video of herself making Boba tea from scratch, just one day after Mbola posted a similar video.
Initially, Mbola ignored the videos and kept quiet about Smith “stealing” her content. But recently, the South African chef has been speaking up and voicing her opinions about the situation.
Shortly after the video went viral, Smith allegedly sent Mbola a letter, which was shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing that she is proceeding with legal actions.
“I am writing to address a serious matter regarding your recent statements accusing me of stealing your content. You have publicly claimed that I stole your videos related to Boba tea and mozzarella cheese, which is untrue and damaging to my reputation,” Smith wrote. “These allegations are entirely false. The videos in question are not my original creations, and I have all the necessary proof of this on the social media platform TikTok. Your false accusations have caused significant harm to my personal and professional reputation.”
🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/CVUm7nnIyr pic.twitter.com/MxprCVqnur
— ✨gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss✨ (@onezwambola) June 19, 2024
The letter continued, “This email serves as a formal notice that if you don’t retract your statements and cease making defamatory claims immediately, I will have no choice but to pursue legal action against you for defamation of character. I strongly urge you to take this matter seriously and to address it promptly to avoid further legal consequences.”
Both Smith and Mbola have been active on social media for quite some time now and have similar content niches. On one hand, Mbola focuses on foraging, harvesting, and hunting her ingredients, making every dish entirely from scratch. Meanwhile, Smith makes simple home meals from scratch. Although their content isn’t that unique, social media users have found major similarities between their videos. Additionally, fans also noticed a shift in Smith’s video style as she used to more lively but has transitioned into a calm demeanor, which is what Mbola was known for. While it is possible that Smith has unknowingly mimicked Mbola’s style, the similarities are very clear. However, the controversy has done some good, with Mbola gaining more attention and increasing the following for both women. See what social media users had to say below:
Nara Smith did not send Onezwa this typo riddled email. pic.twitter.com/6jHtTUVTgY
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) June 20, 2024
cause Onezwa’s email address is on her every social media account – literally anyone can just send her an email claiming to be Nara Smith. pic.twitter.com/VIkGYhm2BC
— 𝐕𝐈 (@6uhle) June 19, 2024
I’m glad ppl have sense bc everyone who believes that woman claiming Nara Smith is stealing her content, is a moron. https://t.co/CGSyWjJXTQ pic.twitter.com/DnDFKmU6Dy
— ﾟᵀʷᵉˡᵛᵉʰᵒᵘˢᵉ 𝓡𝓮𝔂 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓪 ≜ ₄₇ (@ReyFortySeven) June 20, 2024
the people defending nara smith are the ones who voted for the DA pic.twitter.com/PBjgHET5LH
— lesego. 𐚁 (fan acc) (@LeeLovesBey) June 14, 2024
My problem with this Nara Smith debacle is how it’s rooted in anti blackness. I’ve seen so many takes about how could someone like Nara Smith watch Onezwa’s content as if there’s something inferior about her being black, South African and eating organic food.
— Hlodi (@_HlodiM) June 16, 2024
Nara Smith when Onezwa comes up with new cooking ideas. pic.twitter.com/vAdiibOKQ6
— ChrisExcel (@ChrisExcel102) June 15, 2024
I still say that Onezwa girl is jealous of Nara Smith and wanted to create beef to gain clout. Nara Smith took nothing from that girl. Not fans, not money, not recipes. She made one or two videos after her, big deal. Doesn't warrant all the bullying. Yall are haters. pic.twitter.com/Of4PxdzDZh
— Christy 𓃵 (@ChrisExceI102_) June 19, 2024
The problem here is not that Nara copies… it’s the fact that SAns go to Onezwa’s page and calls her “Our own Nara Smith” which is not okay at all. Appreciate Onezwa’s content without involving Nara or comparing the two.
— ᴸᵉˢᵉᵈⁱ ᴸᵉᵏᵉᵗⁱ (@lesedi_leketi_) June 15, 2024
You stand with Onezwa, but you spend 95% of your video talking about Nara Smith. If you stand with onezwa, talk about her, why you like her content and why TikTok should pay its African creators. If she can’t get paid from all this publicity, then all of this was for nothing.
— BabyGyalLami🌸 (@itslamitho) June 20, 2024
To me, Onezwa and Nara Smith cooking is very different and let’s not act like cooking from scratch is not a thing. Onezwa needs to take it up with Africa TikTok on why she’s not getting paid.
— JENN🇭🇹 (@Jennxsta) June 17, 2024
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