JOHANNESBURG – Former Skeem Saam actress Pebetsi Nolo Matlaila believes her turbulent relationship and brief marriage to an ex-director of the popular South African soapie led to her losing her role on the show.
In a deeply personal interview with Sunday World, Matlaila, known for her portrayal of Mokgadi, revealed that her ex-husband, a producer on Skeem Saam, was dismissed due to unprofessional conduct. Matlaila suspects she became collateral damage, as she was later axed from the show for reasons she believes were linked to their failed marriage.
Matlaila explained that she married the producer primarily because she was pregnant, hoping to avoid societal judgment and familial embarrassment. “I didn’t want to seem like I was just having kids out of wedlock,” she said.
However, Matlaila’s marriage to the director, who is the father of her youngest daughter, lasted a mere nine months. She now regrets her decision to marry him, describing him as abusive and believing that her association with him derailed her career.
After their marriage ended, the director, whose identity she has chosen not to disclose, was fired from Skeem Saam. He subsequently returned to KwaZulu-Natal, leaving Matlaila to raise their daughter alone.
“The last time I saw him was when I called it quits. I opened a protection order against him, and he told me I’d raise our child with the lobola money he had paid for me,” she recounted.
Matlaila described her harrowing marriage as being marked by both emotional and physical abuse, particularly during her pregnancy. “He was abusive, especially when drunk or high,” she said. While he appeared to be soft-spoken and gentle to others, she says he was a different person behind closed doors.
She recalled a terrifying incident where he smashed their bedroom door while she and her eldest daughter hid inside, trying to escape from him. On another occasion, while heavily pregnant, Matlaila alleges that he threw her down the stairs.
Her eldest daughter witnessed the abuse, growing fearful of the man she had once considered her stepfather.
The actress admitted to enduring the relationship for far longer than she should have, questioning her decisions in retrospect. “Getting into that marriage was the biggest mistake of my life,” she confessed. “I sent out wedding invites four days before the ceremony, hoping he wouldn’t have enough money for lobola negotiations.” Despite her last-minute attempt to prevent it, the wedding went ahead as planned.
Matlaila’s second daughter, who is now three years old, remains unaware of her biological father’s identity, believing that her older sister’s father is also her own. “She doesn’t know her dad, and I don’t know where he is,” Matlaila said, expressing her hope that her daughter will one day be able to connect with her paternal roots.
The actress’s dismissal from Skeem Saam has prompted her to reflect on the heavy cost of her personal choices. “I believe I lost a screw back then,” she said, lamenting how her marriage not only endangered her safety but also derailed her career. “I hoped I could learn to love him and that he would change, but he didn’t.”
Matlaila suspects that their personal conflicts spilled over into the workplace, ultimately leading to both of their dismissals from Skeem Saam. “I have a feeling our personal lives affected our workspace,” she said.
Despite the significant setbacks she has faced, Matlaila remains resilient, focusing on raising her daughters and rebuilding her life. She also hopes that her story will serve as a cautionary tale for others about the dangers of remaining in toxic and abusive relationships.
Sunday World reached out to Skeem Saam for comment on Matlaila’s claims regarding the reasons for her departure from the show, but the production had not responded by the time of publication.
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