Pearl Thusi Opens Up About Watching Her Daughter Grow Up

Actress, model and DJ Pearl Thusi recently shared an emotional side of motherhood during her appearance on The Anele Podcast: Her & Now with Anele Mgudlwa. She was joined by her daughter, Thando Mokoena, as the two spoke honestly about their close relationship and how it has changed over the years.

Pearl became a mother at just 19 years old, and she reflected on the journey of raising Thando while growing up herself. As Thando prepares to turn 19 this year, Pearl admitted that she has been struggling with the reality that her little girl is no longer a child.

“I’ve been saying to her I’ve been mourning my child. My child is gone. My baby is gone. This young lady in my home who has standards and boundaries and rules, I love those for her, I gave it to you as a gift as well but sometimes the gift you give to people is the same gift they can use to hurt you. Not that you weaponise that against me.”

Pearl explained that watching Thando become more independent has been both rewarding and emotional. She shared that after the passing of her father, her daughter’s growing independence affected her in ways she did not expect.

“My own mind weaponised my daughter’s independence to make me feel like more lonely or she’s like moved on. Especially after my father passed away, Thando’s independence kind of stung, it stung but was it was kind of taking away my sense of purpose, because providing for her became a purpose, but in a different way now.”

Despite the emotional adjustment, Pearl made it clear that she is proud of the confident and independent young woman Thando has become. She acknowledged that the values and boundaries her daughter now has are qualities she helped instil in her, even if accepting this new chapter has been difficult.

During the conversation, Anele also asked Pearl when she stopped seeing herself as someone who became a mother at a young age. Pearl revealed that it was never something that defined her personally, even though others often brought it up.

“Only people reminded me that I had a baby at a young age, it wasn’t a thing of like I’m so young I had a baby. I was a young mother and I found the positives in that. I was very optimistic about  everything.”

Pearl’s heartfelt reflections gave listeners a glimpse into the emotional side of parenting, showing that while children grow older and become independent, the bond between a mother and her child continues to evolve. Her honest conversation with Thando highlighted both the challenges and the beauty of embracing a new stage in their relationship.