Kiki LaCoco slams ‘harsh’ reactions to Mel and Peet Viljoen’s arrest: ‘Where’s the compassion?’

Kiki LaCoco says she was surprised when she first heard that Mel and Peet Viljoen had been arrested in the US. The arrest ofPeet ViljoenandMel Viljoenin theUnited Stateshas sparked widespread conversation acrossMzansi,with many reacting to the news online. Among those sharing their thoughts isKiki LaCoco, Mel’s former costar in “The Real Housewives of Pretoria”, who said she first heard about the reports through messages, calls and links sent to her early in the morning.

“This morning we got messages, phone calls and links about the Mel and Peet story that is currently ongoing – that they were arrested in the States,” she said. According to reports, the couple were arrested in the US on fraud-related charges linked to an alleged scheme involving millions of dollars and has since appeared in a federal court. LaCoco admitted she initially struggled to believe the news.

“First, I didn’t believe it. Malcolm and I said, ‘It can’t be true.’” She explained that people likely reached out to her because she knew Mel on a more personal level. However, LaCoco said she never allowed outside opinions about Mel to shape her own view.

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“I made my own assumptions about Mel based on how she was towards me,” she said. While she acknowledged that others may have had different experiences with Mel, LaCoco said Mel never did anything to her personally. “For the people Mel (and Peet) did things to, I feel sorry for them.

But Mel did nothing to me, so I never judged her.” What has bothered her most, however, is the tone of some online reactions. “The Facebook comments from people who find joy in this and say the nastiest things about other people’s downfall is shocking to me,” she added. LaCoco added that while being in the public eye often means facing harsh criticism, she believes people should still show basic humanity.

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