Australia has been in love with Jessica Mauboy since her 2006 Australian Idol audition, but there is one person who has fallen head over heels for her more than anyone else – her husband Themeli Magripilis.
Their love story began when Jess was 18-years-old on a club dance floor in Darwin. But it wasn’t the flirty experience one would expect, but rather she was dared by her friends to “pinch” someone.
Jess and Them met on the dance floor of a Darwin club.
(Credit: Instagram)“I was dared to walk across the room in the club and pinch this guy,” Jess told Show + Tell back in 2015. “At the time I didn’t know who he was, but my friends had known of him and thought he was a very handsome man. It was a dare to start off with… to go through the crowd and pinch his bottom!”
While he wasn’t Jess’ type, she began to realise there could be something more after seeing him around town in Darwin.
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“I’m the one who made the move and ended up getting his number from a really good friend,” Jess admitted.
“I texted and said ‘I’d really like this to work, how about you?’ and I didn’t think I would do anything in my life like that.”
Due to Jess’ demanding career schedule that involves a lot of touring, she and Them spent the first seven years of their relationship doing long-distance.
While Them remained in the Northern Territory capital, Jessica lived and worked in Sydney, but they stayed in contact with twice-daily phone calls and Skype sessions.
Jess and Them all dressed up for the 2019 ARIA Awards.
(Credit: Instagram)Themeli then relocated to Sydney in 2016, but it was on a holiday in the Greek Islands – where Them’s family lives – when Jess realised that he was ‘the one.’
“When we were in Greece, I would get all mushy when he would be talking to the yiayias or papous on the street asking for directions or what to see on the island and I would think ‘I love you, malaka’,” she told News.com.au in 2016.
“Out of all the moments we have had together it was a realisation that yes, I am going to be with him for the rest of my life, whether or not I have the ring.
“I know deeply how amazing he is, how he is with my family and they are with him. And he’s so hot.”
“I think I’m the only one within the family who’s not Greek.”
(Credit: Instagram)Three years later, Them proposed to Jess on the remote Greek island of Kalymnos.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Jess shared a loved-up snap with her fiancé, with the caption: “The love of my life proposed to me in his family’s home town of Kalymnos, Greece on the beach at sunset. We are so happy I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Thank you for all the love BIG LOVE JM & Themeli.”
Speaking to Nova shortly after, Jess revealed that Them had planned to pop the question a year prior when she was away representing Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest, adding that it was a total surprise.
“It was freaky to me. It was as if he was going to pass me my phone cause he was taking photos. Then he’s down on one knee. He said ‘Are you going to say yes or what cause I’m still here’,” she recounted.
Them proposed to Jess on the Greek island of Kalymnos where his extended family live.
(Credit: Instagram)Given their shared strong family values, Them took the traditional road of asking Jess’ father for permission before getting down on one knee.
“There was one moment where he said ‘I’m gonna go with your dad.’ That was his moment of asking dad for my hand. He said ‘I’ve come on this drive to ask you if I can marry your daughter.’ I think my dad choked up and said ‘Yes, of course, I can think of no better person. I’ve been waiting for this moment’,” she said.
What’s more, Themeli’s Greek extended family speak little English and knew nothing about Jess’ Australian-Indigenous culture, welcomed her into the family with open arms.
“Them has quite a few cousins who’ve all gotten married and had children, but I think I’m the only one within the family who’s not Greek. I don’t think they’d ever had contact with dark skin before, but they’ve been really fascinated and it’s amazing,” Jess told In Style shortly after the engagement.
“My little family 💕.”
(Credit: Instagram)Unfortunately, the couple were forced to postpone their wedding when the coronavirus pandemic hit with the bride-to-be confessing it was “sad” and “hard.”
“I’m going to leave it for some time, I think it really is about rebuilding people and giving back to people as much as myself and my family can,” she told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa in August.
When asked if she could update her fans about the upcoming nuptials, Jess replied, “I have no updates, when you know you’ll know. I feel like this music is always taking over just when I’m getting my personal life together.”
The couple finally said “I do” in a small church in Darwin, July 2022 with the reception held at the Mindil Beach Casino Resort.
Jess adorably captioned this picture, “My two favourites 😊❤️.”
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