Thabo Bester Seeks Court Order To Block Netflix’s “Beauty And The Bester” Documentary

Convicted killer and rapist Thabo Bester is making a last-minute legal push to stop Netflix from releasing the highly anticipated three-part true-crime series Beauty and the Bester.

The series is scheduled to drop this Friday, but Bester will appear before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Tuesday, where Judge Sulet Potterill is expected to hear the urgent matter.

Bester and his life partner, Nandipha Magudumana—both currently behind bars awaiting trial on multiple charges following their 2023 arrest in Tanzania—argue that the documentary contains inaccurate, defamatory, and unsubstantiated claims.

They claim it violates their constitutional rights, including the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Thabo Bester Claims Defamation and Trial Interference

Thabo Bester is seeking an interim order to block the airing of the series pending a final ruling. He maintains that the documentary, based on the trailer, presents criminal allegations without factual support and denies him the opportunity to respond.

“I became aware of the documentary last month after Netflix posted the trailer,” Bester said. “It includes commentary and allegations of a criminal nature against me, which are not based on facts. This could cause irreparable harm and negatively impact my criminal trial.”

The series explores the prison escape involving Bester and Magudumana and their subsequent journey.

Netflix has heavily promoted the documentary, presenting it as a deep dive into “courtroom footage and never-before-seen investigative material that peel back the layers of a story where love, manipulation, and corruption collide, culminating in a jaw-dropping incident that stunned the world.”

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The documentary trailer features interviews with friends and family, including Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, DJ Pearl Thusi, and TV personality Penny Lebyane, who attempt to make sense of the controversial bond between Bester and Magudumana.

Beauty and the Bester follows Netflix’s previous documentary, Tracking Thabo Bester, which premiered last year. Bester and Magudumana also attempted to block that series’ release but were unsuccessful in court.

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