It was a bag of laughs and cries on the latest episode of the “Popcorn and Cheese” podcast.
Actress and businesswoman Pearl Thusi joined hosts Mpho Popps and Robot Boii in studio, to talk about her mental health journey, social media, industry hate and motherhood, among other things.
When asked how she’s doing by Popps, she said, “Let me tell the truth. I’ve been up and down, mentally. I think Covid, being a mom, being single and having all this pressure on me, has really weighed very hard on me.
“I literally deleted all my social media. Like AKA (Kiernan Forbes), Costa (Titch) and Riky (Rick) death, definitely people, but us specifically as artists, we really underestimate how losing those people has affected us. Kiernan’s passing hit me in like a very different way.
“So I deleted my social media and games to free up some of my time. I started watching free master-classes with Richard Branson and Tony Robins. I already feel miles better and more positive,” she said.
On being a single mother, she told the hosts: “Then there’s my children. I’m basically raising them on my own with Thando’s step-mother and some friends and family, but generally it’s just me facing this thing, and it’s really hard.”
When it comes to mental health, she said the trick is to “keep moving”.
“If you dealing with something like depression, anything close to it, moving around, keeping busy, sometimes you need to be still, but not ‘drowning in your sorrows’ still. Make sure you are in a positive environment, around positive people.”
Further along in the interview, she was asked on how she keeps up to the “Pearl Thusi” brand that people have come to love.
She admitted that while fans may think she needs to drive a cool car or un-box a “Louis Vuitton”, she is not interested in those type of things.
She is more focused on buying dogs, plants, seeds, bees and vegetables.
“I do things that interest me. I am into self-improvement things, like going on hikes. Those are the type of things I invest my money and time in. And my children.
“I understand the sacrifices I am making, maybe it doesn’t measure up to the ‘Pearl Thusi’ dream people out there have, but I know what I have as ‘Pearl Thusi’.
“If something is authentic, it can never be replaced or duplicated. It is what it is. You’re going to pay attention to it because it interests you because it’s real, so I think it has helped me with sustainability in the industry. As people, we also evolve, so Pearl has changed.”
Watch full interview below: