Ontshiametse Molekoa opens up about the painful cooking accident that left him with facial burns.
Image: Instagram
“The River” star Ontshiametse Molekoa has suffered burns on his face following a cooking accident at home.
Molekoa shared pictures of his injuries on Instagram on Tuesday, October 28, revealing visible burns on his face, which appear on his upper lip, cheeks, nose and hand in a series of close-up images.
The actor, best known for playing Pharaoh in the award-winning 1Magic telenovela “The River” and on BET’s “Isono” in 2021, described the experience as both physically and emotionally painful.
Opening up about the incident, Molekoa said the burns were caused by hot cooking oil and that the aftermath has been difficult to process.
“I’ve been through a traumatic experience that has left me scarred physically and emotionally. It’s been hard coming to terms with how this might affect my career,” he wrote.
He went on to share how deeply the situation has shaken him as a performer. “As an actor, my face is my livelihood, my tool, my everything,” he said.
“The thought of not being able to pursue my passion or bring characters to life has been heartbreaking. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m holding onto faith.”
Despite the pain, Molekoa expressed gratitude to those who have reached out since the accident. He thanked his followers, friends and colleagues for their support, saying that their messages and prayers have given him strength during this time.
The actor added that he is recovering well under the care of his medical team and is focusing on healing both physically and emotionally.
“I’ll be taking some time off to focus on my recovery and regroup. I don’t know when I’ll be back in action, but I promise to keep you all updated on my journey,” he said.
Molekoa shared that he will be stepping away from work temporarily to prioritise his recovery but promised to keep fans updated on his journey. He ended his message by thanking everyone for standing by him and said he remains hopeful about returning to what he loves.
“Thank you for standing by me, for loving me, and for being my rock. I love you all, and I appreciate your unwavering support.”
His industry peers, such as Warren Masemola, Rorisang Mohapi and Kagiso Mogola, filled the comment section with words of encouragement.
“I am so sorry, you will most definitely bounce back! You are very talented and nothing will stop you from producing great work 🤍,” said Mogola.