Content creator Apoorva Mukhija, popularly known as The Rebel Kid, has addressed the intense backlash she faced following her appearance on a recent episode of Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent.
In a video shared on her YouTube channel, she revisited the events that unfolded during and after the now-removed episode, which attracted widespread outrage and legal action. She also broke down in tears mid-video, explaining how her parents stood by her side during the difficult time.
The episode drew nationwide criticism after a contestant made an inappropriate remark, and co-panellist Ranveer Allahbadia’s controversial “sex with parents” comment further inflamed the situation. Several FIRs were filed, and the show was promptly taken down from YouTube.
Apoorva, who was one of the panellists, reflected on the sequence of events, starting with how she joined the project.
“It was a 6–7 hour long shoot and there was a 30-minute break in the middle. So in the first half, I didn’t say anything. I just made one joke about being a computer science engineer who doesn’t speak to civil engineering students. That’s it. I was sitting there freaking out that I can’t do this. I texted my manager that I didn’t want to be there, and she told me not to overthink, just be myself,” she said.
She shared that she first met Samay Raina in August 2024 at an event, where he invited her to participate in the show. The shoot took place in November. During the break in filming, Apoorva suffered a panic attack in the green room, questioning her presence on the panel.
“Samay sat down with me and told me, ‘Apoorva, I also go through this kind of pressure—that I have to be funny—but it’s okay. No one is expecting you to be funny. You’re not a stand-up comic, you’re just an influencer. Influencers aren’t supposed to be funny,’” she recalled.
Apoorva explained that things escalated during the second half of the show when a participant began disrespecting one of her friends seated in the audience. “Samay asked him to behave multiple times, but he continued,” she said. She further revealed that the participant crossed the line by making a vulgar remark directed at her.
“Then this boy went on to say things about my vagina in front of everyone. Usually, you expect people to say things like that online because they can be anonymous and know there are no real consequences—but you don’t expect it in front of a live audience. So when I said that statement, it genuinely didn’t come from a place of trying to be funny, or to create a moment, or to appear savage—it came from anger and retaliation. My intention wasn’t to hurt anyone, except that guy’s ego,” she said.
In the video, Apoorva offered an emotional apology: “Irrespective of my intention, I’ve hurt a lot of people, and that’s honestly the last thing I ever wanted to do. I genuinely create content to entertain people and make them laugh. I never intended to hurt anybody, and I’m truly, truly sorry. I should have been more mindful of my words, but I’ve learnt my lesson and I promise I’ll do better moving forward. I just hope you all can forgive me, and I’m very sorry if I hurt your sentiments.”
She acknowledged that some of her subsequent comments on the show were also inappropriate. Apoorva admitted she underestimated the public response, believing the show’s tone would shield her from criticism. However, after the episode aired in February, she faced a flood of FIRs and relentless online trolling.
“It is impossible for so many people to tweet the same thing unless someone is orchestrating it,” she remarked. As threats escalated, her manager advised her against returning home for safety reasons. “I started reading my DMs, and they were all graphic—people talking about wanting to rape me, throw acid at me, and things like that,” she revealed.
Apoorva also recounted the distressing experience of going to the police to give her statement. “I cried so much,” she said, calling it a “dehumanising” experience, especially due to the insensitive behaviour of the paparazzi.
Her family—especially her parents—stood by her. However, trolls tracked down her mother’s social media accounts and began leaving disturbing comments, which impacted her mother’s health. “I deserve this because I did this. My parents didn’t deserve this,” she added.
Concluding the video on a sincere note, Apoorva announced that she would not monetise the ordeal. She said she would donate the earnings from the video to an NGO that supports acid attack survivors, rape victims, and victims of domestic violence.
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