The Comeback of Rebel Kid.

After months of silence, Apoorva Mukhija addresses backlash, online threats, and her fight against harassment.

After a 2 month break, Apporva Mukhija, a.k.a the Rebel Kid, posted her first video. Within 24hrs of posting the video in You tube, it got over 5 million views. This was her first social media appearance after the latent controversy. In this video she speaks on her perspective and addresses all of the backlash and hatred she had to endure. 

The Controversy

A social media storm has recently erupted around Apoorva after she appeared on India’s Got Latent, a comedy roast show hosted by stand-up comedian Samay Raina. During the show, she made a comment and it started a massive debate on social media, with some commenters accusing her of being disrespectful and insensitive. The backlash escalated to include a harassment campaign specifically targeting Apoorva, with many people even sending her extreme threats, including threats of rape and death, which caused her to take a break from her various social media accounts. Consequently, she deleted every post on her Instagram account, unfollowed everyone, and went silent for weeks.

Her Comeback

Two days ago, on the 8th of April, she shared a 20-slide carousel on the platform containing screenshots of comments and messages she received following her appearance on Latent. These screenshots were vile and heinous threats of death, and rape, including some comments threatening to use acid to attack her, among many others. Other screenshots contained threats specifically mentioning her address, with users threatening to attack her outside of her home. In addition, some users went so far as to find her parents’ social media accounts, and began leaving the same vile comments there.

Her Response: The YouTube Video

On April 9, 2025, Apoorva published a thorough YouTube video addressing the controversy. She described the experience as “dehumanizing” and emphasized that she never intended to cause offense but faced bullying and criticism at unrealistic and unfair levels. She acknowledged some accountability for her awareness of language but refused to let others define her story.

While sharing her experiences of abuse and self-harm, she broke down and spoke about her shame around sexuality. “A lot of times, people will say it’s over. I remember living in a house that never felt like home for 17 years. I cried through sleepless nights, I self-harmed, and I still have the scars. Back then, every day, I thought it was over. I fell in love with a man who promised to love, protect, and marry me. Then one day, he hit me, and I thought it was over. But it isn’t.” She urged her female viewers to take back their power and not let anyone else decide when it is “over” for them.

Her closing statement in the video—“Till I say it is over, it is not over”—emphasized her resilience and determination to stand her ground. It is an example of her fighting spirit and determination to not back down.

She stated that she would donate all the ad revenue from this video to Laxmi Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports women who have survived acid attacks and sexual violence. Mukhija encouraged viewers to donate also. She also provided the iCall number, a telephone and email based counselling service through Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for individuals experiencing emotional and psychological distress.

Public response:

Many of her followers expressed sympathy and encouragement for her. They appreciated her for her courage to speak up about the backlash while sharing her story. They praised her for her bravery and willingness to be vulnerable by openly sharing her experience of being bullied online. On the contrary, some people are still critical of Apoorva’s comments on the show. They raise doubts about the authenticity of her apology or feel like her actions should be under examination.

To summarize the situation, Apoorva’s recent video had a variety of responses that encompass the nuance of public perception in a digital age.