Influencer and content creator Apoorva Mukhija, popularly known as The Rebel Kid, has returned to YouTube with a deeply personal video titled “Till I Say It Is”, marking her first public appearance after months of silence following the India’s Got Latent controversy.

The 23-year-old, who faced severe online abuse, legal threats, and public scrutiny, used the video to share the emotional toll the episode took on her mental health, relationships, and career.

The controversy began after a controversial joke was made on the panel show India’s Got Latent, involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia. The comment, which included a reference to parents and sex, triggered political outrage. Multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against host Samay Raina, the show’s organisers, and panellists including Mukhija. What began as an unscripted moment on a digital talk show quickly snowballed into a nationwide backlash.

In her video, Mukhija revealed that the fallout was far worse than she had imagined. She was subjected to intense trolling, received rape and death threats, and became the target of coordinated online abuse. Her mother’s social media account was also flooded with hate, further traumatising the family. The National Commission for Women (NCW), which had summoned Mukhija in connection with the case, is now actively demanding action against those who issued these threats and has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting her safety and rights.

Opening up with raw vulnerability, Mukhija described how the incident shattered her emotionally. She recalled how she avoided answering her father’s calls as the controversy escalated, fearing she had brought shame to the family. But instead, she received a message from him that brought her to tears:
“Beta, whatever happens, I am with you. You might be feeling the whole world is against you. But no, I am with you. Maybe the world will be against us.”

She said this moment changed everything for her and brought her closer to her family, who had previously struggled to fully understand the pressures of her public life. The video highlighted how the incident forced difficult but healing conversations within her home.

Mukhija also discussed surviving an abusive relationship in the past, being slut-shamed by relatives, and her history of self-harm during adolescence.
“I used to live in a house that never felt like home for 17 years,” she admitted. She shared that the events of the last few months brought back many of those buried emotions.

Professionally, the fallout was devastating. Mukhija lost multiple brand deals, was dropped from projects, and briefly lost access to her own home due to security concerns. She said the fear of becoming irrelevant in the industry became overwhelming.
“It used to be my worst nightmare that one day I might become irrelevant,” she confessed. Despite apologising publicly earlier, Mukhija reiterated her regret in the video and stressed that she never intended to hurt anyone.

She explained that her reaction on the show was not pre-planned or performative, but came from genuine anger after a co-panellist made a crude comment about her body in front of a live audience.
“I should have been more mindful, and I truly have learned my lesson,” she said, while clarifying that her intent was to stand up for herself, not to provoke controversy.

The video also featured extended thank-yous to her closest friends, colleagues, and supporters who helped her through what she described as the darkest period of her life. Some friends provided her with legal aid, emotional support, and even physical security. One friend offered her a safe place to sleep, while another arranged for bodyguards to be posted outside her residence.

She particularly thanked content creator and friend Sufi for spending hours each night talking to her and offering consistent emotional guidance, and business leader DC for offering support despite a high-pressure job.
“You changed my perspective on life,” she told them.

The video, now trending across social platforms, has sparked renewed conversations about online abuse, the expectations placed on public figures, and the thin line between accountability and harassment. Mukhija’s honest account has been widely shared and praised by her followers for its honesty and vulnerability.

As of now, she remains under the protective radar of the NCW, which continues to monitor the situation. The commission's involvement underscores the growing recognition of cyberbullying and gendered harassment as serious threats to personal safety and mental health in India’s online landscape.