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Film director Phil Karanja has opened up about his divorce from actress Catherine Kamau, popularly known as Kate Actress, during an interview on the CTA podcast.
Speaking candidly, Karanja shared how the experience has helped him reflect on himself and grow as a person.
When asked, “Has divorce helped you re-examine yourself?” Karanja responded, “100 percent. The first thing when you are getting divorced, as all human beings are, is we blame the person we are divorcing with. But if you allow yourself to grieve the right way, which means going through therapy, having the right conversations, crying—you quickly shift from blaming your partner. Then call and put yourself on the seat and call out your own BS… I failed in this and this; I need to improve on this and this.”
He added that the process of divorce forced him to look inward. “Divorce has also taken me to that point of looking inwardly, like, what did I do wrong? Where did I fall short? Why did I miss this and this? What should I have worked on myself? What should I have improved? Never ever go on a blame game, ever, ever.”
Karanja shared how he met and talked to other men and women who had gone through similar experiences but still held onto bitterness for years. He resolved not to follow the same path.
“I met and talked to a lot of men and women who had gone through this. Umetoka huko umeongea na mtu, they have been divorced for like five years but the guy was still so bitter and angry, and I remember telling myself, ‘Five years from now I don’t want to be this angry and bitter at my ex-wife. Not at all.’ So I am not going to channel my anger and bitterness toward her. I am going to look at myself, what did I do wrong? I’ll never focus on her.”
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Karanja and Kate Actress tied the knot in November 2017 after dating for some time. However, in April 2023, rumours of their separation began circulating when Kate Actress removed photos of Phil from her social media accounts.
In a joint statement on September 19, 2023, the former couple officially announced their separation and asked the public to respect their privacy for the sake of their children.
"We came to a conclusion to end our marriage a long while ago and are separated. We sincerely request everyone to honour our wishes for privacy for us and our children," the statement posted on Instagram read.
Kate Actress also took to her Instagram stories to thank their fans for their support. "We were never a secret, just private. To all our dear fans, ASANTENI SANA, for the support over the years," she wrote.
Phil Karanja echoed similar sentiments, stating that they had ended their marriage amicably and would remain friends and business partners.
“Hii ni mambo ya watu wawili but allow us to add you to the group chat kidogo so we can proceed with our lives bila story mob. Kate Actress and I remain as friends, co-parents, and business partners,” he said in his Instagram stories.
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