Skeem Saam’s Pebetsi Matlaila reveals abusive marriage and near-death experience

Pebetsi Matlaila, who plays Mokgadi on the SABC 1 educational drama Skeem Saam, has shared her story of being in an abusive marriage.

The actress and radio host also opened up about her near-death experience and suicidal thoughts on the Gamechangers podcast. Matlaila said that she and her ex-husband were married for less than a year and she had already noticed some warning signs before they got married.

Recently, South African actress and radio host Pebetsi Matlaila revealed her harrowing story of being in an abusive marriage on the Gamechangers Podcast. Matlaila is best known for her portrayal of Mokgadi in the SABC 1 educational drama Skeem Saam, which has been running since 2011.

Matlaila shared bravely with the podcast audience that she had noticed warning signs before even getting married to her ex-husband. She said the marriage was brief and lasted only one year, but during that span of time, she endured physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse.

Matlaila also revealed that at one point in her life, she thought about taking her own life. Fortunately she had a support system of family and friends who helped her to find the strength to leave the destructive relationship.

In facing one of the darkest periods of her life, Matlaila has emerged victorious and now uses her testimony to remind others that even in the direst of situations, hope still lies ahead. It is this courage that she hopes to give to others who may also be entrapped in difficult situations.

Matlaila hopes her story will bring awareness of theEO physical and psychological injuries associated with domestic abuse. She urges everyone to remain vigilant and open in order to detect the signs of such relationships.

The actress wishes to remind those going through similar circumstances to find their voice and courage to flee any situation which does not bring them peace and heal their wounds. This has given her the strength to live in her truth and the freedom to now embrace all of her accomplishments.

This inspiring story of triumph and resilience is one that should continue to be shared throughout all societies and communities. It serves as a reminder that no matter how deep the valley of despair may be, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and stories like Pebetsi Matlaila’s are proof of this.

“We were officially married for nine months, but we only dated for three months as boyfriend and girlfriend.

“Sadly, I knew the warning signs before I even married him. He had a problem with addiction.

“On top of that, he became very abusive when he drank alcohol. People think my marriage was a dream that turned into a nightmare, but it was a nightmare from the start,” she said. The Skeem Saam star said that she left her marriage when she was still pregnant with her youngest child.

At that time, the mother-of-two said she was depressed because she had no income as she was not working. Her mother helped her and supported her, but she still had suicidal thoughts. “My life was such a disaster that I remember thinking if I could kill these children without pain and then kill myself, then they wouldn’t have to deal with this.

“I felt like a failure as a mom. I felt like I had ruined my life so much that I had nothing to live for, and I remember telling my therapist that I was afraid of myself and that I might harm my kids because I had made such a mess of my life.” Matlaila also remembered “dying” for three minutes when she gave birth to her youngest daughter because of blood pressure issues.

“I remember struggling to breathe and I grabbed the scrubs of the nurse next to me and… and then everything went dark for me. I didn’t even know that I was dead, until my mom told me what happened later…”

Speaking on the Gamechangers podcast, Skeem Saam actress and radio host Pebetsi Matlaila recounted her harrowing story of being in an abusive marriage, her near-death experience and her suicidal thoughts.

Matlaila revealed that despite only being together with her ex-husband for three months before their marriage, she had already noticed warning signs of his addiction issues as well as his abusive behaviour when he drank alcohol.

She also shared that upon leaving the marriage, she was pregnant with her youngest child and had no income, adding to her depression and suicidal thoughts. “My life was such a disaster,” she revealed to her therapist, “that I remember thinking if I could kill these children without pain and then kill myself, then they wouldn’t have to deal with this…

I felt like I had nothing to live for.” Matlaila added that during childbirth for her daughter, she had suffered a near-death experience, saying that “everything went dark for me” for three minutes, although she was unaware of this until her mother told her later.