Who is Onezwa Mbola? Nara Smith drama explained amid stolen content controversy

On June 19, South African content creator Onezwa Mbola revealed on X that she had received a legal notice from social media personality and model Nara Smith. This action came in response to Mbola's public allegation that a popular influencer had been stealing her content concepts. Although she did not name Smith initially, many were quick to connect the dots, leading to the model taking legal action.

Mbola took to X to claim that Nara Smith was suing her. The former also attached a screenshot of an email that was supposedly sent by Smith, where she allegedly said:

"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. These allegations are entirely false."

As reported by Independent Online, Nara Smith allegedly told her that she had proof of her not stealing Mbola’s content. She then said, "Your false accusations have caused significant harm to my personal and professional reputation." Smith further warned Mbola of a legal battle for “defamation of character” if she does not retract her statements.

Onezwa Mbola is a South Africa-based content creator who has amassed a massive following of over 100,000 followers on Instagram. She is best known for her food-related content that showcases her making dishes by using organic ingredients.

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More about Onezwa Mbola as Nara Smith controversy goes viral online

Onezwa Mbola has become a viral TikTok sensation, as many enjoy her videos where she showcases her farm produce and how to eat sustainably. One of her most popular videos, titled Our lemon fermented soda is ready, the ginger is a bit slow, has amassed over two million views.

Onezwa Mbola holds a National Diploma in Maritime Studies and also worked as a Navigational Officer for the Navy before becoming unemployed. She then began her career online, which subsequently led to the creation of her own business, eMandulo, where she sells homemade condiments, including seasoning, hot sauce, and more.

The controversy began when Onezwa Mbola made allegations of content theft against a popular internet personality in a now-deleted TikTok video. Mbola claimed:

"For four months now, I have watched a very, very popular content creator use my ideas, and, again, I'm not the first person to do anything. They've continuously used my ideas to get views."

Mbola explained that she does not get paid for her content, as influencers in South Africa do not make money through the views they obtain. She said, “So she has been making money off stealing my content.”

The mother of one then cited a boba tea video that she had created as an example. While explicitly mentioning Nara Smith by name, Mbola stated that Nara created a boba video immediately after she posted it. Mbola said:

"That would be fine if it were a coincidence, except it’s a coincidence that happens very often, so is it really a coincidence?"

On TikTok, Onezwa Mbola also alleged that Nara Smith had created cream cheese and mozzarella-making videos shortly after she had posted similar content.

As the controversy gained traction online, Nara responded on Instagram, commenting under a social media post that she did not know of Mbola. She added:

"Nor do I follow her. I’m not the first or last person to make boba."

However, it was noted that Nara had once commented on a video created by Mbola in February, where she said, "I’m so sorry you have to deal with these comments. Your content is so inspiring," as reported by the Tribune.

Netizens now await an update on the matter.