Kelly Khumalo’s openness on parenting cooks up a storm on X

Multi-South African Music Award (SAMA) winning singer, Kelly Khumalo, has left social media users divided after she opened up about challenges of raising the child of her abuser.

In a video the Afro-pop powerhouse originally shared on TikTok but has gone viral on X, she talks about the difficulty of raising a child who’s the spitting image of her abusive ex and the need for healing.

She describes the journey as difficult.

@kellykhumalo11Drops the mic 🎤 let me go wash….♬ original sound – kellykhumalo11

While the songstress doesn’t say who the abusive ex- lover is, many have suggested that she is talking about Molemo Maarohanye, aka ‘Jub Jub’.

She wants publicity stunts ka Jub Jub name. What about raising a child that your family and friends took her father 6feet under. Evil

— No Caffeine (@Nocoffe50) January 12, 2025

The 40-year-old has previously candidly opened up about how toxic their relationship was, at some point even accusing the TV personality of having suffocated her with a pillow while raping her during one of the series of alleged domestic incidents that occurred between the pair.

The two was involved back in the late 2000’s and Khumalo fell pregnant with their son, Christian.

Her two other children are second eldest, Tingo, who she shared with the late soccer star, Senzo Meyiwa, who was killed in 2014 at her mother’s house. Her last born is Luna, whose father is allegedly another soccer star, Mthokozisi Yende.

Some people on X have shared their own personal experiences of having been in a similar situation as her, while others have talked on the need for parents to heal so that they don’t bleed on their children and end up scarring them for life.

I started therapy while pregnant because I didn’t know how to cope with carrying a child of a man that manipulated me and was stealing from me. So, I kinda get what she means shame.

— KᗩKᗩᖇOT ⚔ (@TheRealZeeNkosi) January 12, 2025

I appreciate Kelly Khumalo raising this, and she’s not the only one… most women just won’t say it.

It’s the way he looks. It’s the mannerisms. It’s the bad behaviour he gets from his dad. Etc.

We’re not giving parents safe spaces to be honest about their struggles with…

— Penuel The Black Pen (@GodPenuel) January 14, 2025

No one is forcing her to raise the child. I’m sure JUB JUB will be happy to raise he’s child. Why woman always think everything is all about their feelings as if we don’t have feelings pic.twitter.com/7Bjs5SP4sA

— vusi (@vusi_mygy) January 12, 2025

She must go for counselling and except it for what it is

— Dabane wakwa Laxa (@MelikhayaL3006) January 12, 2025

Separating the child from the sins of the father. Love must override pain, or the cycle continues in another form. Healing is the real victory. Will Senzo’s family not be reminded of the pain you caused them when they look at the young one?

— Mzamo Dudula (@MzamoDudula) January 12, 2025