‘I have been trying to survive’ – Skeem Saam actress Pebetsi Matlaila staying in a shelter with her kids

Former Skeem Saam actress Pebetsi Matlaila says she and her children are staying in a women and children’s shelter due to financial difficulties.

The actress said she decided to open up about her situation to reclaim her power and remove any stigma associated with it.

Pebetsi said they moved into a shelter run by the police department because she could not afford to pay rent after breaking up with her ex-partner.

She said her financial struggles worsened after their separation.

“I went from a two-income household to a one-income household and then to a low-income household.

“And so things were very challenging, and I knew I was going to be inconvenienced because of the decisions I made,” she said in a video.

The actress said she feels safer at the shelter and will remain there until she finds her feet.

She added that she cannot seek help from her family because she does not want to overburden them.

“Everything is provided for, and they keep you here until you feel safe enough to leave if you’re coming from a domestic violence situation…

“I’m trying to do this on my own without relying on family support,” she added.

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Pebetsi Matlaila on leaving her abusive marriage

In 2023, during an interview on the Game Changers podcast, Pebetsi opened up about considering killing herself and her two children due to her abusive marriage.

She said no one believed her when she told them her ex-husband was abusive.

Pebetsi’s marriage lasted nine months. She said they tied the knot after just three months of dating.

“My life was such a mess that I remember thinking, ‘If I can manage to kill these children painlessly and then kill myself, then they wouldn’t have to deal with this.

“I felt like I had failed as a mum. I felt like I had messed up my life so badly that I had nothing else to live for, and I remember talking to my therapist and saying I was scared of myself, that I might hurt my kids because I had made such a mess of my life,” she said.

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