The Challenge: Australia‘s Suzan Mutesi has tackled the fake influencer allegations head-on during an interview on Aussie radio.
Joining KIIS FM’s The Kyle and Jackie O show, Suzan spilled her thoughts on all the hullabaloo surrounding her online follow count, the Logies and her Instagram posts.
To give you a bit of context: the Ugandan-Australian reality TV star has been accused of Photoshopping her influencer lifestyle. Rumours first began to swirl about her alleged fakefluencer persona when she was cast in Season One of The Challenge. Recently, Suzan allegedly faked her way onto the 2023 Logies red carpet, per So Dramatic! with Megan Pustetto.
During a cooked segment where shock jock Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O attempt to uncancel celebs — the same segment where they tried to uncancel Pe*e E*ans — Suzan was given the opportunity to explain her fakefluencer allegations, as well as the Logies red carpet debacle.
When she was asked about photoshopping herself onto private planes and with designer items, Suzan simply answered that she was a “digital artist”.
Suzan told the radio pair: “I’m a digital artist. There’s nothing wrong with Photoshop. People Photoshop their dicks.”
Touché, Mutesi, tou-fucking-ché.
Kyle also asked if she thinks the hate was coming from a racist place, to which she replied, “It could be that”. She also confirmed that she receives racist comments when it comes to her online posts.
Jackie O went on to ask if she had bought her followers. Suzan was previously accused of buying one million followers prior to her appearance on The Challenge.
“I’m very international, guys. I have fans in the Middle East, Africa, Canada, France. I’m International,” Suzan replied.
“I’m not just an influencer. That’s just a side thing that I do. I’ve written books.”
The hosts move on to the Logies rumour, where Suzan was accused of sneaking onto the red carpet. Jackie O also mentioned that Channel Seven allegedly said they didn’t invite her.
“I was given tickets. Whether they were purchased, I don’t care if I was in the bleachers, up in the sky or, honestly, I don’t care about that,” Suzan explained.
When Jackie O asked her about the tickets, she was about to say “general”, but ultimately, she said she “didn’t see them”.
“I didn’t know that was it [general admission], but when I looked at it, yeah, they told us we had a different entrance, and that was fine,” she said.
“We were ushered onto [the red carpet]. Like someone just let us on. We were just standing there, and they were like, ‘Oh guys, let’s go get pictures before it gets chaotic,'” she added.
“The Logies should thank me. They’ve gotten so much press.”
The hosts went on to mention serial pest Married At First Sight’s Nasser Sultan, who they claimed was jealous of Suzan’s behaviour.
Celebrity stylist Jamie Azzopardi called into the Kyle and Jackie O show to call out Suzan and her alleged fakefluencer lifestyle, saying “she devalues what [influencers] do”.
“If you go and look at her following, it’s been proven it’s not real,” they claimed.
“There’s a million companies that have come and said, ‘your following isn’t real.'”
Jamie went on to allege that Suzan’s photoshopping is “fraud”.
Although there were allegations of a previous altercation between the reality TV star and celeb stylist, per So Dramatic!, Suzan denied knowing Jamie IRL.
“I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t listen to people who don’t clap for me when I’m winning. So I’m not interested,” Suzan said.
Let’s just say the exchange was v. heated.
Look, personally, I think Suzan’s answers to the fakefluencer questions were iconic. I’m definitely nicking “digital artist” the next time I’m called out for adding Anime eyes to my pictures.
However, as an influencer (which I am most definitely not), I think it can be quite shady to mislead your following when you’re photoshopping and promoting a product.
US TikToker Mikayla Nogueira was previously dragged for allegedly using eyelashes to promote a mascara. Also, I’m pretty sure there are also legal obligations for influencers when it comes to advertisements and sponcon.
Overall, the way I see Suzan’s IG (strictly her Instagram profile) it gives me major “fake it ’till ya make it” vibes like Anna Delvey. And if that’s what she’s going for, she’s definitely winning.
Image Source: Instagram / @suzan_mutesi & @kyleandjackieo and Getty Images / Don Arnold
The post Suzan Mutesi Has Finally Addressed The ‘Fake Influencer’ Rumours & The Logies Red Carpet Debacle appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
