Matlaila reveals why Skeem Saam fired her

Thespian believes her marriage to ex-producer cost her her job

- By Mbalenhle Zuma

Former Skeem Saam actress Pebetsi Nolo Matlaila believes her tumultuous relationship and short-lived marriage to an ex-director of the show cost her her role in the popular South African soapie.

In an emotional interview with Sunday World, Matlaila, who played Mokgadi, said the producer, her ex-husband, was fired from the show because of unprofessional conduct. She believes that she was collateral damage because the powers that be later axed her from the show for no apparent reason.

The thespian said she got married to the producer primarily because she was pregnant, hoping to avoid judgment and familial embarrassment. “I didn’t want to seem like I was just having kids out of wedlock,” she explained.

Matlaila’s marriage to the director, who is the father of her youngest daughter, lasted a mere nine months.

She regretted her decision to wed him because he was abusive, and her association with him derailed her career.