Award-winning actress and content creator Jackie Matubia shared her life story, detailing how the man she fell in love with walked away, leaving her to raise their daughter alone.
The mother of two describes her life as a series of events that chose her, rather than ones she chose herself.
READ ALSO:JACKIE MATUBIA SPEAKS ON WHY SHE DOESN’T TALK WITH BABY DADDY BLESSING LUNG’AHO
Jackie Matubia’s early life and family dynamics
She posted on her YouTube channel about her life and the challenges she experienced after she moved from London to Kenya to stay with her mom.
“I went to London to stay with my dad. Then I came back and stayed with my mom, who was already married to someone else by then. We lived in Kawangware,” Jackie shared.
Jackie continued to share that because of her constant relocations, it had impacted her social interactions with people. Consequently, she wanted people to actually dislike her and stay away from her.
“I was a very quiet child because of the change. Growing up and being moved from one place to another can affect your interaction with people. I used to block people. I wanted them to actually hate me and stay away from me,” she said.
She explained how challenging it was to adjust to attending a high-end school like Lavington Academy while also returning to live in Kawangware, which often led to her being labeled as a quiet and strange girl.
“There’s this girl who had longer hair than mine, and I just took scissors and cut it. The teachers wanted to chase me out of the school but they couldn’t because my grandfather owned the land. So, they left me a whole classroom for myself. The teachers would come teach me alone,” Jackie narrated.
How Jackie Matubia joined drama in high school.
After not performing well in her KCPE, Jackie joined Gathirimo High School, where she found comfort in drama.
“In 2008, I was the first-ever Form One to join the drama club, and everyone was bitter because they had to wait to reach Form Two to join the drama club.”
During her form four, Jackie was called onstage to pray when actors from KNT came to their school to perform. Afterwards, Morgan, a TV sensation, pulled her aside and gave her his number.
“Fast forward to Form Four; set book actors like Morgan and OJ came to our school. Miss Morgan called me aside, told me I was an amazing actor, and gave me her number.”
Although she didn’t initially reach out, fate intervened. Miss Morgan heard her on the radio and contacted her, leading to Jackie’s entry into the popular TV show ‘Tahidi High’.
Jackie Matubia’s marriage and motherhood
In 2014, Jackie Matubia got pregnant with her firstborn, Zari Kamau, and later on in 2016, she got officially married.
“Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, and in 2014 I got pregnant and gave birth to my first-born Zari Kamau in 2015, and officially got married in 2016. I didn’t walk down the aisle; I went to the AG, and life as a mother began.” Jackie shared.
About two years after giving birth, Jackie wanted to return to acting and regain the stardom she once had.
“About two years after I gave birth to my firstborn, I wanted to go back to acting and the stardom that I had.”
However, re-entering the industry proved challenging for Jackie and her friends, including Kate Actress and Chris Murithi, as they struggled to find opportunities, especially since they had acted in ‘Tahidi High’.
During this time, Jackie also faced the challenge of separating from her husband after seven years together, which added to her struggles in the industry.
“Seven years of marriage! It was crazy. It was hard. I remember one day I just woke up, and I was like, This is not working. And we went our separate ways. This was after moving back several times.” Jackie said.
Jackie Matubia finds love in Zora.
After facing a significant struggle in finding work, the mother of two eventually landed a job at Switch TV, although it came with its own set of challenges.
After working at Switch TV, she moved to Rembo TV, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional challenges. Amidst all these difficulties, her marriage troubles became public, leading to depression and isolation.
“I canceled everyone in my life and got myself into a dark hole, and all I wanted was to shut everything out, guys, when I tell you you’re winning out here, but when the camera stops rolling, you are depressed to the core.” Jackie shared.
Realizing it was time to rebuild herself and her brand, Jackie returned to TV on the show ‘Zora’ in 2021, thanks to a call from Sarah Hassan.
During her time on ‘Zora’, she fell in love again and became pregnant, bravely facing the challenge of raising her two kids alone.
“Life went on. The man left. Me and my child stayed. My darkest year again was 2023, when the monster I thought I had hidden finally came out,” she said.
Jackie Faces Public Scrutiny After Her Second Relationship Ended.
After news of her separation came out, the mother of two shared that she faced harsh judgment from people.
“You guys rained on me. Kenyans project their insecurities; they can’t imagine a strong woman deciding to choose her over a man; she must be the problem.”
She continued to explain how difficult it was, especially because even people she thought were her friends showed their true selves.
Because of her struggle, Jackie found a different way to tell her own story, leading to the birth of her YouTube series ‘TOXIC’, which reflected the everyday experiences of many people in relationships.