Thabo Bester And Nandipha Magudumana Launch Urgent Court Bid To Block Netflix’s “Beauty And The Bester”

Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, alongside his partner Nandipha Magudumana, has launched an urgent legal bid to stop Netflix from releasing its highly anticipated true-crime docuseries, Beauty and the Bester.

The three-part series, set to premiere on Friday, digs into their infamous prison escape and dramatic arrest in Tanzania. However, both Bester and Magudumana claim the documentary contains “inaccurate, defamatory, and unsubstantiated” content that infringes on their constitutional rights.

Their urgent applications will be heard together on Thursday in the Gauteng High Court, just a day before the scheduled release.

Why Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana Want to Block the Series

According to court papers, Bester argues that the documentary could cause him “irreparable harm” and negatively impact his pending criminal trial. He claims the Netflix trailer already portrays him as guilty, undermining his right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

Magudumana, who faces charges alongside Bester, is expected to make similar arguments through her legal team. Neither of them will appear in court as the hearing is civil, not criminal.

“They are seeking either a final interdict to stop Netflix completely or an interim order delaying the release until a final ruling is made,” court insiders revealed SurgeZirc SA has learned.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Thabo Bester Seeks Court Order To Block Netflix’s “Beauty And The Bester” Documentary

Despite the legal action, Netflix is determined to go ahead with the premiere. The streaming giant has marketed the series heavily, promising “courtroom footage and never-before-seen investigative material that peel back the layers of a story where love, manipulation, and corruption collide.”

This isn’t the first time Bester and Magudumana have tried to block a documentary about their scandal. In 2023, they attempted to stop Showmax’s Tracking Thabo Bester, but the Johannesburg High Court dismissed their application.

Judge Sulet Potterill is expected to hand down her ruling on Thursday, setting the stage for either a last-minute block or one of the year’s most controversial streaming premieres.

---

For More, Follow SurgeZirc SA On Facebook, X,  Instagram and Bluesky