WATCH | Keke Mphuthi opens up about being bullied: I wanted to die

Actress Keke Mphuthi has opened up about the bullying she endured when she was younger, which led to mental health issues including depression and self-cutting.

The actress took to her IG TV to share her experience and to ensure that the people who used to bully her know how they affected her and what she thinks of them.

“This is my story, I - like many others, have endured bullying - and, sadly, it came from even the closest of people (family). Many times I cried myself to sleep and endured endless cutting of my wrists too. The physical pain was better than the psychological and emotional pain I was going through of +/- 13 years of my life,” Keke explained in her caption.

In the candid video, Keke didn't hold back, slamming her bullies for their actions.

“I hope that each and every one of you are super-rich ... from the pain that you've brought everyone that you bullied, because you know what, you are pathetic. You are a pathetic excuse for a human being. That much, you must know.”

Keke detailed how she was called multiple hurtful names and was made to feel bad about some of the natural features she had, like body hair.

She added that healing from the effects of the bullying, which took place over a decade, was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do. 

“It took so much of myself to find healing and claim my power back, but that also came with cutting off a lot of toxic individuals. Yes, I still experience bullying - I mean, duh, look at my industry - but trust me, it doesn’t do the 'damage' it was meant to,” she said.

Watch the full video below.

Keke made headlines last year when she opened up about alleged mistreatment she endured on one of the productions she worked on.

At the time the actress responded to an open letter by actress Vatiswa Ndara detailing alleged mistreatment by Ferguson Films, recounting her own experience with the production company.

Vatiswa cast the spotlight on alleged “bullying and exploitation” of actors through an open letter which she addressed to arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa.

The letter went viral on social media, as users weighed in on the debate about the treatment of actors in SA.

Keke starred in two Ferguson films productions, The Throne and Unmarried, and took to Twitter to share her own experiences with the company.

In a series of tweets, she claimed that when she told her bosses she was pregnant, she was given guarantees she would still have a job when she returned. However, she was told on the last week of shooting that her contract had come to an end.

The Fergusons have not yet responded to Keke's claims. In a statement to TshisaLIVE at the time, their lawyer Brendan De Kooker said he was awaiting instruction from his clients before commenting on the matter.