'Never be quiet' - Actress Tessa Twala breaks her silence on alleged abuse
Even though it has been two years since actress Tessa Twala was allegedly beaten up by a male friend because she claims she refused to have sex with him, the trauma of the alleged ordeal still haunts her.
Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, Tessa told fans that she had apparently turned down the guy's advances for years until the alleged violent altercation.
2 years back a guy hit me cos I wouldn’t have sex with him i had known the guy for 7 years and had been saying no to him all that time when I opened a case against him so many of our mutual friends(all males) called me telling me to drop the case cos he wasn’t coping 💋💋
— Tessa Twala (@tessa_twala) July 2, 2018
She added that none of their friends apparently cared how being physically abused would affect her.
None of these “friends” cared about how this was going to effect me mentally, emotionally or physically they just wanted to have their boys back ppl even started treating me weird as if I was the one who had done something wrong
— Tessa Twala (@tessa_twala) July 2, 2018
Even the doctor who helped me said I should let it go even as he was examining my fractured cheek and swollen jaw. The female “friend” I was with refused to write a affidavit to help my case(trash humans) I don’t know why I’m telling y’all this but never be quite ever ever
— Tessa Twala (@tessa_twala) July 2, 2018
Tessa added that the guy apparently also offered her money, which she allegedly refused to accept.
"He did offer me money that night saying I should sleep with him cos he has money now. And I still said no and asked him why he is acting like this now cos I had explained again and again that I don’t like him romantically. After those words left my mouth hitting me was his solution."
The model told TshisaLIVE that she decided to speak out to encourage other women not to keep quiet.
She said that by keeping quiet culprits were getting away with "such evil".
"I was just sitting in my house yesterday and I decided that it was time to tell people. I want people to know that this can happen to anyone and that if we don't speak out, it will continue happening."
Tessa said that even though their mutual friends advised her to drop the charges, there was no way she was going to let it go.
She claims that after months of being in court, the person was let off with a warning because he was a first time offender.
"There was no way I was going to let it go because I wanted it to affect him financially, physically and emotionally, like it did to me. Making sure that this was on record will also protect the next woman he decides to get violent with."
Tessa said that people treated her so weirdly after the incident and by speaking out she hopes that men will realise that money and violence won't get them a woman.