As the news broke of Mhlongo’s arrest, online backlash was swift and brutal, painting her as reckless and entitled.

“I was getting DMs from strangers telling me I’m not better than anyone else, that I think I’m a celebrity and can drive however I want,” she says. “But none of that was true. I wasn’t speeding like that.”

Mhlongo does not view herself as being a “celebrity”, as she is an influencer, but acknowledges that influencers have become public figures recognised by many. She is also the daughter of actress Brenda Mhlongo, who has appeared on top shows such as "Generations: The Legacy" and "Imbewu," and artistic director Edmund Mhlongo.

“I think it's so unfortunate that people don't, almost don't recognize us as people.

“We're public faces, but surely people can still see that we are just as human as they are. Having people speak to me like I'm not real or speak about me like I'm not real, and like I'm this entity. I still struggle with it to this day, I don't think it's something that I will get used to.”

Mhlongo later checked her vehicle’s tracking data, which revealed she was only going 69 km/h—barely above the limit and within the 10 km/h buffer often allowed by traffic enforcement.

“To be accused of something you didn’t do is one thing. But to be reduced to that one moment... it was heartbreaking,” she says. “It felt like people stopped seeing me as human.”

The incident not only affected her emotionally, but it also cast a shadow over her professional life.

“There were brands I was in talks with who suddenly went quiet. People weren’t sure what to believe. And it was frustrating because the truth wasn’t sensational enough for headlines.”

Mhlongo has since fought hard to rebuild her image, leaning into authenticity and transparency.

She addressed the incident on her YouTube channel, and she has opened up about the discrepancies between her tracker data and what was reported by JMPD.