‘Skeem Saam’ Star Pebetsi Matlaila: ‘I’ve been an addict’ (VIDEO)
Pebetsi Matlaila Opens Up About Growing Up with an Addicted Parent and Her Own Struggles
Former Skeem Saam actress Pebetsi Matlaila recently shared how growing up with an alcoholic and abusive father impacted her life.
In a candid interview on the Varied Views podcast, Matlaila revealed that her father’s substance abuse and behavior were difficult to talk about openly.
She recalls the backlash she received when she first spoke about her father’s addiction. “I got calls from my aunts, asking why I would say that in public,” Matlaila said.
However, she explained that her intention was never to shame her father, but to speak her truth.
The actress, who has faced her own struggles with addiction, empathizes with her father’s situation. “I know what it’s like to be a parent with a lot on your shoulders and how substances can seem like an escape,” she said.
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Matlaila also admitted that dealing with childhood trauma, abuse, and the challenges of being a single mother to two children with different fathers has not been easy.
Matlaila, best known for her role as Mokgadi on Skeem Saam, played a single mother and journalist on the popular SABC 1 soapie.
After taking a break from acting, she returned to radio and wrote a book titled A Decade In My Lifetime, where she reflects on her journey through life’s ups and downs.
