South African actor Bonko Khoza has publicly denied allegations that he sexually assaulted actress Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku during the filming of the Red Ink in September 2023.
Khoza released a lengthy statement on Monday after Nokwe-Mseleku accused him of violating her boundaries during the filming of what she described as an intense scene on the production.
In his statement, Khoza said he recognized the seriousness of sexual assault allegations and the importance of supporting victims, but firmly denied any wrongdoing.
“I stand by victims of sexual assault, however, deny that I sexually assaulted, thrusted upon or committed any misconduct in respect of Ms Nokwe-Mseleku and the production,” he said.
Khoza explained that the scene in question was a “fully clothed violent stunt scene” that had been discussed, choreographed and rehearsed beforehand with the actress, the director, stunt coordinator and director of photography.
He further stated that a stunt double had been offered to Nokwe-Mseleku before filming, but she declined the option.
According to Khoza, more than 12 crew members, including the producer, stunt coordinator, script supervisor, lighting technicians, sound team and camera crew, were present during filming.
“At no point did any of these professionals observe or report any behaviour resembling the allegations now being made,” he said.
The actor also revealed that he requested and attended a meeting with the production team together with his agent the day after the alleged incident because of the seriousness of the accusation.
Khoza said a follow-up meeting involving representatives from Red Ink Productions, M-Net, SWIFT, senior crew members and both parties’ agents later reviewed the unedited footage from the scene.
According to him, those present concluded there was no evidence of thrusting, sexual misconduct or criminal behaviour
The actor further confirmed that Nokwe-Mseleku later opened a criminal case against him in May 2024 and that he submitted a sworn statement to police at Braamfontein Police Station.
Khoza claimed he was later informed that authorities decided not to prosecute after reviewing the evidence.
The allegations against the actor sparked widespread debate on social media, with several public figures rallying behind Nokwe-Mseleku and calling for stronger protections for performers in the entertainment industry.
Khoza said while conversations around gender-based violence and sexual assault are necessary, they should not be driven by what he termed “false accusations”.
“Being falsely accused of a sex crime is devastating for anyone. My integrity, my career, and my role as a parent were all placed under a cloud because of an allegation that has been disproven by footage, by witnesses, and by the legal process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nokwe-Mseleku has maintained that her boundaries were violated during the filming of the scene in question despite prior discussions around choreography and consent.
In a series of social media posts and videos, the actress alleged that the incident left her emotionally traumatised and permanently changed her view of the acting industry.
She also claimed she reported the matter to production executives and later opened a criminal case, but felt unsupported throughout the process.
Nokwe-Mseleku has since continued advocating for safer working conditions in the entertainment industry and has reportedly launched a petition calling for trauma-informed ethics training, stronger on-set protections and improved intimacy coordination practices for performers.
