Pearl Thusi had to be consoled when she broke down at a recent women’s month event, when she reflected on witnessing her mother being abused at the hands of her father
The TV star was speaking at an event hosted by The Mercurynewspaper and Unilever to raise awareness about abuse against women.
In the emotionally-charged videos shared on Twitter, Pearl shared how watching the abuse as a teenager affected her own views.
“As a teenager, I swore never to marry a black man because at the time, they were the only ones that I was exposed to and they were the reason I was able to witness women being abused… Of course [now] I know better but… as a child, I had made that decision.
“So what I’m saying, by looking at my mother’s abuse and what I went through in particular… we need to stop comparing pain. Abuse is abuse, it needs to be nipped in the bud,” she said.
In another video, the TV star reflected on how witnessing the abuse in the past has impacted on her own views.
“I wish my father’s ignorance and even my mother’s long-suffering and patience didn’t normalise this behaviour for me,” she added.
Pearl also reflected on how she begged her mother to leave even though her mother tried to hide the situation from them.
She could not control her emotions and broke down as she recounted the painful experience.
“I begged my mother to leave till the day she died. In anger I blamed her for staying,” Pearl added.
Pearl Thusi speaks about how witnessing the abuse her mother affected her as a child at the #MercuryUnileverWomensDayLunch #SayNoToGenderViolence pic.twitter.com/cqT4EfqKNo
— The Mercury™ (@TheMercurySA) August 3, 2018
"Excluding ourselves and making excuses because of shame is not necessary. Talking, whether it be your friends or a professional therapist, go…" said Pearl Thusi at #MercuryUnileverWomensDayLunch #SayNoToViolence pic.twitter.com/VxmdPyl6Zz
— The Mercury™ (@TheMercurySA) August 3, 2018
