The ‘Bahati’s Empire’ show recently dropped on Netflix, showcasing the lives and times of controversial musical couple Bahati and Diana Marua. Coated in lavish living, the show depicts their opulent lifestyles, high-profile friendships and a side of dramatic exchanges.
Since its launch the show has been enjoying massive success, becoming a trending topic all over social media owing to the hilarious antics displayed on the show.
While many have tuned in for a dose of the drama, there is a significant part of the celebrities’ lives that had remained hidden that has come to life on the screen; Diana’s tough upbringing.
In the show’s fourth episode, dubbed ‘Who is Diana”, Marua dines with her sisters Val Omach and Michelle Ngoje, reliving their hard childhood at the hands of their father.
Being the eldest of the three, Diana experienced physical violence from their father, especially after she took the reins from their mother who left them while they were young.
Without anyone to shield her from the hurt, Diana had to persevere through the torture and ensure that her younger siblings were taken care of. The episode showed an emotional side to Diana, who broke down severally while recounting her experiences.
” I remember time ya KCPE, daddy alinichapa hadi ikafika mahali hadi mwalimu akauliza, ‘Are you okay?’ Nilikuwa nimetandikwa hadi my fingers zimefura zimeshikana,” she emotionally recounted.
The teacher proceeded to remove her school sweater revealing lashes on her arms and back, after being mercilessly whipped by her father. The wounds she described were green and infected.
The abuse they described was triggered by trivial reasons, as their father was not reasonable in his discipline process.
One time Diana was punished because she did not involve her father in her high school selection process, causing chaos in their house after he beat her to a pulp, leaving her with a black eye.
These are a few of many traumatic instances the sisters discussed, recalling how their mother was nowhere to be seen while they were being tortured.
Their mother had already separated from their father following the abuse, departing from the marriage and leaving the girls. Diana was left to care for her siblings and when the abuse landed on her, her mother told her to persevere.
“My mother left me when I was five months old, and Dee had to step in and fill very big shoes. You know the kind of the situation where you have not seen what being a mother looks like, but you have two younger siblings to take care of, it was very hard for her,” lastborn sister Mitchelle said.
Diana’s mother passed on in 2009, and later in the episode the sisters take a trip to visit her grave, heavy with emotion recalling the few interactions they had with their mother while she was alive.
Speaking to their aunt at their maternal grandmother’s home, they inquired about who their mother was before everything turned sour. It was a sentimental moment when they all shared their fond memories, wishing they had more time with her.
In a later episode, Diana revealed that she struggles with forgiveness, but she is willing to take the necessary steps towards the same. Bahati consoled her for the experiences she had in the past, urging her to embrace healing for the sake of their five children.
