Reality TV star and beauty queen Ratile Mabitsela has dropped a bombshell, branding Showmax’s The Mommy Club a “big trap” that twisted her image and left her reeling.
Speaking on the Engineer Your Life podcast with host Lungelo KM, Mabitsela did not hold back. She revealed how the show sold her a false promise and turned her into the villain without so much as a heads-up.
Not what was pitched
“They pitched it as a show about motherhood, kids, and nannies. But what aired was something else entirely,” she fumed.
“Only a fraction of what we shot made it to the screen, and it didn’t represent me at all. Every show needs a villain, I guess, but a warning would have been nice!” she added with a wry chuckle.
Mabitsela, who joined the show to step out of her comfort zone, said the first season left her blindsided.
“I didn’t know if we were acting, if it was scripted or unscripted. It was a mess,” she admitted. By the second season, she was wiser and vowed it would be her last. “The experience helped, but I was done.”
Filming was no walk in the park either. Mabitsela described grueling shoots that dragged on for hours, keeping her away from her family for months.
Silver linings
“You’re stuck with people who aren’t your friends, all there for work. We spent two months together, and it was intense,” she said.
Still, she found silver linings, forging genuine friendships with some castmates she wouldn’t have met otherwise.
In a heart-wrenching moment, Mabitsela opened up about the death of her estranged husband. Lehlogonolo Mabitsela passed away in February 2025.
Despite their rocky divorce and allegations of abuse, she spoke with grace.
“He will always be the father of my kids, whether we were married, separated, or divorced. The kids can still visit his grave,” she said, reflecting on their challenging journey.
Also Read: Oratile and in-laws in tug-of-war over hubby’s burial
