'Gomora' Star Ntobeko Sishi Shares Painful Upbringing: “Rejection Has Been a Huge Part of My Life”
- Ntobeko Sishi opened up about his childhood in a candid interview on The Inside Show podcast with George Avakian
- The former Gomora actor spoke about rejection, forgiveness and healing in an episode that premiered on YouTube on Saturday, 26 June 2025
- Ntobeko Sishi's real-life childhood experience mirrored his character in Gomora and earned him respect from netizens
- Briefly News spoke to relationship expert Paula Quinsee, who highlighted the effects of parental rejection in adult relationships
Source: Instagram
Rising South African actor and musician Ntobeko Sishi had netizens in their feelings after opening up about his painful upbringing.
Sishi became a household name for his portrayal of the character Ntokozo on the popular Mzansi Magic TV drama series Gomora. His character in the award-winning TV drama series also experienced the same fate as him in real life.
In a candid interview on the Inside Show podcast with George Avakian, Ntobelo Sishi wore his heart on his sleeve and opened up about being rejected by his father following the death of his mother.
Ntobeko Sishi shares how his father rejected him
In a teaser of the episode shared by George Avakian on TikTok, Sishi revealed that his mother passed away when he was six years old.
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“I lost my mum when I was like six. That was when we were on the up and up of wealth, I guess. Then after that, I was with my dad,” he said.
Now 27 years of age, Ntobeko Sishi recounted how things took a painful turn when his father disowned him about four years after his mother’s death.
“He switched up and was like, ‘Dude, you’re not my son.’ He put me on a flight. I was about 10 years old, alone at Durban Airport, I think that was what it was called then. Like I didn’t know where I was gonna go,” Sishi added.
Ntobeko Sishi discusses healing after painful upbringing
Over the years, Ntobeko Sishi hoped for a reunion with his father, but that never happened until he received a message out of the blue in 2020.
“I got an Instagram DM that was like, ‘Yoh our dad’s in the hospital' and I was like who is this is this like my older brother? He said he is in like ward what what in Pretoria, and I went (to see him).”
He said when he got to the hospital, he couldn’t get any closure as his father was on life support. Despite the situation, Ntobeko said he forgave his father.
“As angry as I was at him, I couldn’t say anything because the guy was like on machines and stuff. So, I just forgave him and told him I forgive him,” he said.
He admitted that being rejected by his father played a huge part in his life and healing from the experience has not been easy.
“Rejection has been a huge part of my life and kinda letting go of that part of my life, trying to make it have less of a negative impact on me. It's been the biggest challenge,” he said.
Watch the video below:
Briefly News spoke to relationship expert Paula Quinsee, who shared the psychological effects of parental rejection on adult relationships.
Quinsee highlighted that parental rejection can make it difficult for the survivors to form relationships with men and authority figures.
"Relationships with other authority figures or men may be shadowed with distrust, fear, or resentment. Children may struggle to trust male figures or may have a heightened sense of anger or disappointment toward them," she explained.
In terms of romantic relationships, Quinsee explained that parental rejection makes it difficult for the survivors to commit ot stay in healthy partnerships.
"Adults who were rejected by their fathers may fear rejection in their romantic relationships or friendships, which can lead to patterns of self-sabotage, causing them to distance themselves, avoid commitment, or stay in unhealthy relationships to avoid being abandoned," she added.
Netizens react after Ntobeko Sishi shares painful childhood story
Netizens flooded the comments section with emotional reactions. Several netizens applauded Ntobeko Sishi for being the bigger person in a difficult situation, while some shared their similar stories.
Here are some of the reactions:
Molatelo Lehonono shared:
“And to think he played Ntokozo who was also not accepted by his father on ‘Gomora’ is crazy!”
Oratile highlighted:
“Every day it becomes apparent that everyone has a story.”
THABILE🤍 said:
“Forgiveness is not for the other person, it’s for yourself.”
earthto._.aya declared:
“Yoh, he’s such a good person, I was not going to see him shame 😭”
Nkosi sikhonde shared:
“This is the reason why my relationships never work. It’s because of abandonment/rejection issues.”
Source: Getty Images
The River star Aldrin Sampear discusses being rejected
Briefly News reported that Aldrin Sampear opened up about his childhood and his rejection by his father and his family in a deeply emotional post.
On Thursday, 12 June 2025, Sampear took to X and shared that his father rejected him, and he suggested that he still carries that trauma today.
He also advised people on the consequences of casual relationships. Netizens responded with support, while others shared their similar experiences and praised Sampear for telling his story.
Oprah Winfrey speaks on her painful childhood
In similar news, Briefly News reported that Oprah Winfrey gave some powerful wisdom about making it through her tough and painful childhood. The talk show host took to X to speak about how perseverance and strength got her to where she is today. Oprah also thanked Dr Bruce Perry, who helped her with writing her best-selling book titled What Happened To You.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
Tayananiswa Zvikaramba (Editor) Tayananiswa Zvikaramba is an entertainment writer at Briefly News. He previously worked as a profiler, sports, human interest, entertainment, and current affairs writer at Pindula (2016-2022) and iHarare (2022-2025). He holds a BA Honours in Archaeology from the University of Zimbabwe (2010-2013), YOAST SEO for Beginners (2023), YOAST Block Editor Training (2023), and YOAST Structured Data for Beginners (2023). Email: tayananiswa.zvikaramba@briefly.co.za
Paula Quinsee (Certified Relationship Therapy Educator and founder of Engaged Humans) Paula Quinsee is the founder of Engaged Humans, facilitating connection between individuals and organisations to create a more human-connected world. She is a certified Imago Relationship Therapy educator and facilitator, NLP practitioner, PDA analyst, coach and trainer. Paula is also the author of two self-help guides - Embracing Conflict and Embracing No - as well as an international speaker, advocate for mental health and activist for gender-based violence.
