Pearl Thusi, the popular South African media personality, has opened up on her battle with colorism and depression.

Thusi in an interview with podcaster MacG, talked about her battle with being light-skinned.

She recounted burning her skin when she was a child for people to stop teasing her because she didn’t grow up around other light-skinned people, and also darkening her skin to fit in with the people around her.

She said; “I used to burn my skin when I was a child for people to stop teasing (me). I didn’t grow up around other light-skinned people.

“These people think this ‘light-skinned’ thing started with them. I have had this conversation since I was 11. People think this conversation is new. I had believed I had worked so hard that I had passed that conversation about the colour of my skin.”

On her success story, Thusi added; “You can’t say all I have is purely because of something I can’t change and expect me to accept that. You can’t! That’s rude! I am going to defend my work. I worked really hard. I have slept in parking lots because I was too tired to drive home.”