Denise Zimba, known for her vibrant personality and significant presence in the South African entertainment industry, has opened up about the challenges she faced in her personal life.
The actress and TV personality, who tied the knot with Jakob Schlichtig in April 2022, has been vocal about the emotional turmoil following their separation.
Zimba has been caring for their two daughters since the split while Schlichtig has demanded that the children be returned to Germany.
“Sunday World” reported that Zimba left the marriage due to infidelity and Schlichtig's neglect of his familial responsibilities.
In court documents, Zimba disclosed: "What led to my depression, amongst other things except cheating, was that he was not helping me at all with the children.
“The second applicant had mentioned many times that I am not a priority to him, and the 2% energy he did was for the children, and that [I] must accept the ‘phase’ we are in.”
She elaborated on her struggles, sharing an instance where her husband refused to pay for her mother’s flight to Germany to help with the children but spent 900 euros on his cat’s medical expenses.
Zimba also revealed that Schlichtig's infidelity was a major issue. She recounted an incident where she found him engaged in inappropriate behaviour while texting another woman, despite their child being in the same room.
"I once found him masturbating while texting another female, and [name withheld] was asleep in the room.
“During the confrontation, I requested his phone as he was shaking. He voiced that he cannot be in a marriage where he cannot touch himself,” Zimba stated in her affidavit.
The emotional abuse did not end there. Zimba detailed how Schlichtig demeaned her financially and emotionally, telling her that she was poor and incapable of managing without him.
He even suggested that no other man would want a woman with two children.
Additionally, Zimba stands firm on not returning the children to Germany, citing the lack of support she received from Schlichtig and his family during their time there.
“No one will be looking after the children in Germany because the second applicant is a businessman in Germany and in South Africa, and he is not helping me at all with the children. He even refused to help me by hiring a helper for me,” Zimba explained.
She added that in South Africa, they owned a house in Cape Town, providing a more stable environment for the children compared to their rented apartment in Germany.
Zimba also pointed out the minimal involvement of Schlichtig's family in their lives, mentioning that they only visited four times and refused to assist with the children.
Despite the strained relationship, Zimba offered her ex-husband the opportunity to visit his children whenever he was in South Africa.
Zimba's latest show is "Ridiculousness Africa," where she serves as a presenter alongside Thomas Gumede and Ehizojie "Ehiz" Okoeguale.
The show is a local iteration of the popular US series "Ridiculousness“, which features humorous viral video clips.