Bokke Captain and Mzansi’s celebrated hero Siya Kolisi and wife Rachel Kolisi are getting divorced.
The couple announced the news in a joint Instagram post which serves as a joint statement on Tuesday, October 22. According to the statement, the couple has reflected and had open conversations about their marriage and came to the decision to get divorced.
Siya and Rachel’s Love Story
Siya and Rachel met at a dinner party in Stellenbosch back in 2012. They soon became friends, but Siya always liked Rachel. He eventually plucked up the nerve to ask her out, an experience he has described as scary.
“I knew I liked her and had to tell her,” he wrote on their wedding website. “It was scary. I asked her to lunch and that’s when I told her. She played hard to get in the beginning, but eventually admitted it as well. The rest is history. The couple got married in 2016 and have a big, blended family. Their first son, Nicholas Siyamthanda, was born in 2015. Their second child, daughter Keziah, was born in 2017.
Siya’s young half-siblings Liyema and Liphelo also lived with the family. Siya and his siblings share a mother who unfortunately passed away in 2009, causing both Liyema and Liphelo to bounce from orphanages and foster homes for years until Siya and Rachel were financially able to adopt them in 2014.
Because of Siya’s busy schedule, Rachel left behind her career as an event manager and marketing executive to become a full-time mother to their four kids.
The Wedding
The couple’s decision to split comes as a shock to many. However, their relationship has not been without difficulties. Throughout their longterm relationship, the couple have been subject to much racial abuse from members of the public.
Rachel has also taken to social media after women have reportedly tried to interfere in her marriage. In response to a woman saying Siya was her type, Rachel tweeted,”Siya is not ‘a type’. He’s a married man responsible for four children. Just a side note. I’ve been there for all the good times. But I’ve also been there for ALL the bad times. Honestly, this should go without saying. Respect my relationship and woman to woman. Respect me.”
She has also publicly spoken out about women trying to reach out to her husband via social media, including a fitness model that sent Siya provocative photos via Instagram.
Despite the speculations, the couple’s joint statement does not mention the reason for the divorce. We do wish both of them well in their individual journeys.
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