Jakob Schlichtig, the estranged husband of television icon Denise Zimba, claims that the actress threw a box of baby formula milk at him and assaulted him after accusing him of making her a cuckquean.
The actress’s alleged first violent episode played itself out in Schilchtig’s country, Germany, while the second occurred in South Africa.
Schlichtig made the allegations in the supplementary affidavit he deposed to at the Joburg High Court last week, in which he wants the South African government to help him expatriate the two children he sired with the actress to Germany, where he lives.
Schlichtig said the children are living with Zimba in South Africa after she unlawfully removed them from Germany, which is their rightful place.
In the affidavit, which Sunday World has seen, Schlichtig said that after giving birth to their second daughter on July 18, 2023 in Germany, the former Generations: The Legacy actress started complaining that she was tired after taking medication prescribed by the doctor to assist her in stopping her breast milk.
He said he believed that she suffered from postpartum depression after both births.
“In addition, she was struggling to settle down in Germany. I believe she missed her life and family in South Africa. She had arguments with many of her friends, whereafter she cut them off, and she even had disagreements with her family,” reads the affidavit.
He said Zimba accused him of infidelity and even hurled a box of baby milk at him two months after the birth of their daughter.
“On September 28, 2023, out of the blue, the respondent approached me, alleging that I had cheated on her with another woman.
“I denied the allegation, as it was not true. She became violent and aggressive towards me, and she threw a box of baby formula at my face while she was holding our two-month-old daughter. For the next few days, she continued bringing up my alleged infidelity and emotional abuse of her,” he stated.
He said that in an effort to try and work on their relationship, they decided to return to SA on holiday with the children from November 7, 2023, to January 11, 2024.
Schlichtig said for the duration of the trip, they lived with her sister in Joburg, where she assaulted him after again accusing him of extramarital affairs.
“The holiday did not go well. The respondent continued to accuse me of having an extramarital affair and of emotionally abusing her, and she constantly verbally attacked me.
“It became so unpleasant that on December 7, 2023, I sent an email to the respondent requesting that she immediately put an end to her toxic behaviour. I proposed that we consult with a qualified marriage counsellor as I was concerned the respondent’s behaviour would negatively affect the children,” he stated in the affidavit.
Schlichtig also said that on January 10, 2024, the night before they were all due to return to Munich as a family, Zimba advised him that she wanted a divorce and that she did not want to return to Germany.
“I was astounded at the respondent’s announcement. I advised her that I was not in agreement with her proposal and stated that I wanted our family to return home to Germany, whereafter we could engage in potential separation, divorce, and subsequent custody matters.
“I even suggested that we return to Germany for a limited period of 6 months. On the morning of January 11, 2024, when we were due to leave for the airport to return to Munich, the respondent packed all of her suitcases and the children’s suitcases into her sister’s car and left to go to her sister’s house, where she is currently staying with her brother,” read the affidavit.
Schlichtig said he flew back to Joburg on January 21 to see his children and to try to discuss the terms of their separation.
“Following an escalation in tension between the respondent and I (including the respondent physically assaulting me on February 8, 2024), I arranged for the respondent and I to meet with a social worker,” he stated, adding that the social worker failed to help them resolve their tiff. He said he also approached her brother, sister, and mother and pleaded with them to intervene, but they too failed.
“The respondent informed all of us that she wanted a divorce immediately and that she did not intend returning to Germany with the children the following day as planned, or at all.”
Schlichtig further said she stopped him from selling the two-bedroom apartment he had bought in Cape Town, saying that she wants to move in there with their children.
Schlichtig said he wanted Zimba to return the children to Germany.
Zimba hung up when Sunday World called her for comment.
