Pearl Mbewe Breaks Silence on HIV Exposure and Estranged Marriage with Sello Maake kaNcube
Pearl Mbewe, the wife of veteran actor Sello Maake kaNcube, has opened up about the trauma of being unknowingly exposed to HIV by her husband.
This revelation comes after Maake kaNcube claimed in a recent interview that he tested HIV positive in 2023 while the couple was trying to conceive their first child.
Mbewe has refuted this timeline, stating the actor learned of his status in 2021.
Speaking to Sunday World, Mbewe revealed the emotional toll of the discovery and the challenges the couple faced in their marriage.
A Timeline of Events
Mbewe disclosed that she and Maake kaNcube began engaging in unprotected tlof tlof early in their relationship after he assured her he had recently tested HIV negative.
“I believed him when he told me he was negative,” she said, noting she had also tested negative before their relationship began.
Pearl Mbewe Details How Actor Sello Maake kaNcube Exposed Her to HIV (Image Credit: Instagram @pearlmbewe)The couple decided to undergo fertility tests in 2021 after struggling to conceive. It was during these tests that Maake kaNcube’s HIV-positive status came to light. Mbewe’s results, however, were negative, a fact she credits to divine intervention.
Coping with Trauma and Seeking Treatment
Despite her negative results, Mbewe described being consumed by fear and anxiety. She supported Maake kaNcube in seeking medical treatment, even finding an HIV specialist for him.
The specialist confirmed his viral load was high, urging immediate antiretroviral therapy.
“The doctor warned that if I continued unprotected sex with him, I might also contract the virus,” Mbewe said.
The couple opted for in vitro fertilization (IVF) after Maake kaNcube’s viral load became undetectable. However, Mbewe revealed the relationship began to deteriorate as he allegedly became resentful of her negative HIV status.
A Marriage in Turmoil
Mbewe accused Maake kaNcube of using her story to garner public sympathy, claiming he had fabricated details about the timing of his diagnosis.
“Sello must stop lying and soliciting public sympathy in my name. I have all the proof to refute his lies,” she stated emphatically.
She also revealed that their marriage broke down after Maake kaNcube allegedly began blaming her for not contracting HIV, calling her “arrogant” and suggesting she had “special genes.”