Netflix has just released a new documentary series called Beauty and the Bester, focused around the life and crimes of Thabos Bester. As you might expect, he wasn’t too impressed with there being an entire series exposing what he did to even more people.
Thabos Bester became widely known as “the Facebook rapist.” He would add women on Facebook, and lure them into meeting with him by telling them he could help them along in their modelling career. Once they met up with Bester, he would rape and rob the women. He then murdered a woman, and in 2012 was convicted and sentenced to life in jail.
Usually, that is the plot of a Netflix true crime series alone. But that was just the beginning for Bester. The Netflix film goes on to explore his relationship with doctor Nandipha Magudumana, and how he allegedly faked his own death and escaped prison.
via Netflix
Thabos Bester tried to block Beauty and the Bester on Netflix
Thabos Bester actually tried to stop Netflix from being able to put out the show. Right now, Thabos Bester and Nandipha Magudumana are appearing in court over his alleged escape. His lawyers argued the Netflix show would be defamatory, given he is yet to stand trial and be found guilty for some of the things the show has accused him of. Magudumana also bid to delay the release of the show.
The couple are currently in custody, awaiting trial on several charges including violating a corpse, defeating the ends of justice and fraud. They have not yet entered a plea.
In a court ruling last week, a judge said the rape case against Bester was “firmly in the public domain” and that he and Magudumana had failed to prove their petition was urgent. However, they are free to sue for defamation, now the show has aired, should they think it necessary.
“A defamation claim can be instituted and damages sought. I cannot find in any way that the screening of the utterances they find to make the doctor guilty affects her right to a fair trial,” the judge ruled.
Beauty and the Bester is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
