Camille Winbush, best known for her role as Vanessa Thomkins on the beloved sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, has left the internet buzzing after a recent Instagram Live session showed her in a completely new light. The 31-year-old actress stunned fans when she appeared in sultry attire—consisting of a navy and black tank top, sheer black tights, and black underwear—during a livestream where she danced suggestively for the camera.
At first, Winbush swayed gently, making eye contact with her viewers and showing off flirtatious moves. But as the music intensified, so did her energy—she turned around and began twerking, giving fans an unexpected and provocative glimpse of her more uninhibited side. Viewers were quick to react, flooding comment sections with a mix of amusement, disbelief, and nostalgia, many referencing Bernie Mac’s iconic line, “Nessa! Nessa!” from the show that brought her into the spotlight.
While some fans praised her for embracing her adult confidence and self-expression, others expressed surprise, noting how vastly different her current persona is from the teenage character they once watched grow up on screen. The clip has since gone viral, sparking renewed attention to Winbush’s personal journey and prompting debate about how former child stars redefine themselves in adulthood.
Actress attends the opening night of “Jersey Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre on May 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
The commentary from fans mocked how hard Mac or “Uncle Bernie” was on his nieces and nephew from his television series as he took them in as his own.
“Where is Uncle Bernie when you need him ? 😩”
“See, this why Uncle Bernie was hard on Nessa, lmao 😂😂😂.”
“AMERICA, LOOK AT THIS SH–,” quoting one of Mac’s phrases.
“All I hear is Uncle Bernie’s voice screaming ‘NESSSSSSAAAAAA 😂.’ “
“Y’all let her live…she is grown now. She isn’t Uncle Bernie’s Lil baby, no mo! Lol.”
“Bernie in heaven yelling 🗣NESSA‼️.”
Winbush twerking shouldn’t come as a surprise, seeing that the actress announced earlier this year that she was creating an OnlyFans. This service often contains adult-related content that creators can make money from those who subscribe to their page.
However, Winbush received significant backlash for joining OnlyFans. It led to the former child-star releasing a statement that she made a “mistake of reading comments” about her OnlyFans announcement.
“Overall, the majority were supportive, and I appreciate that. I really do. But I’m human, and of course, the ones that stick out to me were the negatives,” Winbush wrote.
Actress Camille Winbush claps back at Bernie Mac jokes after she revealed she is joining OnlyFans. @camilleswinbush/Instagram
She also addressed those using Mac’s name in vain to give their unsolicited opinions. Mac lived with the inflammatory disease sarcoidosis but passed away in 2008 following complications from pneumonia.
“So let me be clear – I am not broke or desperate for money. Bernie, God rest his soul, is not turning over in his grave. STOP saying that. Even if meant as a joke, it is far from funny. I do not need to call Tyler Perry for a job. I’m not spending thousands of dollars on school to get a degree so that I can get a ‘real job,’ whatever that means,” Winbush continued.
“I will not now, or ever be doing porn. YouTube does not equal an automatic payday. Working in Hollywood has never been my endgame. Hell, to not have to work at all is my goal. I made an OF because I wanted to, not out of necessity. I used to make life choices based on what people would think of me.”
She concluded by telling fans that she is an adult and that this is her personal choice.
For those still worried about Winbush’s OnlyFans content, the actress disclosed in her announcement caption that she would be singing, dancing, and sharing content like her skin care routine.
