Pistorius family refutes claims of pre-trial acting lessons

A spokeswoman for Oscar Pistorius said suggestions that the Paralympian had taken acting lessons ahead of his emotional murder trial testimony were “totally devoid of any truth”.

We “deny that our client has undergone any ‘acting lessons’ or any form of emotional coaching,” Anneliese Burgess, media manager for the Pistorius family, said in a statement on his website.

Pistorius broke down repeatedly in the witness box as he gave his version of shooting dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

His vomiting and loud crying have often disrupted proceedings, and some have questioned his sincerity.

Well-known South African columnist Jani Allan claimed he had been coached by her “close friend” for his emotional performance.

“I have it from a reliable source that you are taking acting lessons for your days in court. Your coach has an impossible task,” she wrote in an open letter posted on her website.

“Oscar, you are the latest in a long line of faux heroes. Like so many who preceded you, you have betrayed your people and disappointed your fans.”

However, the Pistorius family described her allegations as “fictitious”, saying any “suggestion that Mr Pistorius ‘took acting classes’ is totally devoid of any truth”.

“This type of comment makes a mockery of the enormous human tragedy involving the Steenkamp family and our client and his family,” Burgess said in the statement.

Jani Allan wrote: “Oscar has to project a complex image of innocence and grief to the mass media and court.

“His squeaky clean image comes natural to him with his short hair, relaxed wide-eyed response in social interaction and charming smile.

“What Oscar has to juggle in court is his three public personas: the boyish wonder he stage-managed for the global media — who will challenge any obstacle and which refutes his disability; the humble, controlled, grieving Oscar for public consumption in the courts; and the suave flash Harry, fast cars, gung-ho image of Oscar with adoring women draped on his arm.

“His dramatic, tearful breakdown in court — when the brutal wounds on Reeva’s Steenkamp’s body were discussed — is more likely to be conveniently staged.

“I believe such behaviour serves to hide his feelings of sickening guilt and vulnerability.”

Pistorius’s trial was postponed for the Easter break and will restart on May 5.