South African actress Mona Monyane bared her soul on Showmax’s UnTied podcast, hosted by Relebogile Mabotja, sharing a raw account of the tragedies that reshaped her life.
From the heart-breaking loss of her children to a devastating fire that destroyed her family home and the eventual end of her marriage to actor Khulu Skenjana, Mona’s story is one of profound grief and remarkable resilience.
Mona and Khulu tied the knot in 2016. However, their marriage faced relentless challenges, leading to their separation in 2020. Their first child, born in 2017, brought light to their lives amid financial struggles that forced them to move into Mona’s family home.
Greatest loss
However, in 2018, tragedy struck with the loss of their second child shortly after birth. Their firstborn was just seven months old.
“That was the most profoundly painful thing God has ever done to me. But it was necessary,” Mona shared, reflecting on how the loss shattered her sense of self.
“I couldn’t recognise who I was in the mirror,” she said. Determined to keep her family intact, Mona fought to save her marriage.
“I didn’t want to raise my baby alone or have a single-parent household,” she said.
“In marriage, you fight through the hard stuff.”
But just three months later, another blow came: a miscarriage while trying for another child. The compounded grief weighed heavily, but Mona held onto hope.
Tragic fire was final straw
The final straw came when a fire razed her family home to the ground. The mysterious circumstances of the blaze, coupled with a lack of support during the crisis, forced Mona to confront the truth.
“There were things about that fire that didn’t make sense,” she said.
“When you don’t feel supported in times like that, you realise you can’t keep making excuses for not receiving what you deserve in a marriage.”
The loss of her home became the catalyst for ending her marriage. It marked a turning point in her journey toward healing and self-discovery.
