She’s one of the country’s biggest stars. But behind the glitz and glamour that comes with fame, Jessica Mauboy, by her own admission, is still simply just “a girl from the bush”.
But there’s another very special reason why the area, which is rich in Aboriginal culture, is so close to Jessica’s heart.
Until recently, it’s where the young songstress and actress would go to escape the public eye and reunite with her boyfriend of nine years, Themeli Magripilis.
Speaking candidly, a usually private Jessica says her relationship with Themeli has never been stronger, especially now distance is no longer an issue.
But she’s the first to admit they’ve experienced their share of ups and downs. She recalls a “rough patch” the couple went through five years ago.
“We were living separately and I was constantly working,” Jessica explains.
Sick of being so far apart, Themeli made the ultimate declaration of love last year, moving to Sydney to be with the woman of his dreams.
While they say change is a good thing, Jessica admits she did have concerns about Themeli starting a new life in the big smoke.
“I was really worried he’d find it really difficult,” she says.
But, to Jessica’s surprise and relief, Themeli has embraced it with open arms.
“Bless his heart,” Jessica smiles. “He has such a great soul. Sometimes I’ll come home from work and he’ll already have dinner cooked.
“He does get annoyed though, because sometimes I’ll just be sitting there eating and I’ll start crying because I’m so blessed to have him.”
Jessica, who plays Billie Carter in Channel Seven drama The Secret Daughter, recently dedicated her hit single “Fallin’” to Themeli. The pair even shared a romantic dance in the music video.
With co-star Bonnie Sveen in The Secret Daughter
“It was important for me that I made him feel comfortable in what I do and for him to understand my world and how it works and the demands of it,” Jessica says.
“We were in our lounge room one night and I played him the song. He was standing there and then he came over, grabbed my hand and we started dancing. It was such a beautiful moment.”
So could marriage be next on the couple’s to-do list?
“My imagination does run wild, as it naturally does,” Jess grins. “I do see myself marrying him one day. I’ve even imagined myself asking Themeli to marry me, doing the whole surprise.
“But at the moment, we’re just on this path of him having finally moved in and we’re now living together.”
