Gigi Lamayne Opens Up About Her Struggles with Her Dad and How It Affected Her Relationships

South African artist Gigi Lamayne, born Genisis Gabiella Tina Manney, recently opened up about her complicated relationship with her father and how it shaped some of her personal relationships. Speaking candidly on Relebogile Mabotja’s podcast, the 30-year-old shared the deep impact her father’s actions had on her emotional life.

Gigi revealed that her parents divorced following an abusive marriage, an experience that left lasting scars on the family. Reflecting on her upbringing, she said, “Daddy issues are a very serious thing because your dad is the first person you fall in love with and I had seen him fail so many times, not for my mother, but also us.”

She went on to explain the difficulty she faced in navigating relationships, especially given the unstable foundation she grew up with. “There are all types of boys coming from all sorts of backgrounds and you are not really sure how to love because the foundation that has been set was a very toxic one.”

This toxic foundation meant Gigi had to do a lot of emotional unlearning to heal and grow. “With the unlearning came a lot of forgiveness. I’m now able to pick up the phone, speak to him. He always forgets my birthday, I always remember his, but I love him,” she said. Despite their challenges, Gigi acknowledges a complex love for her father, quoting him saying, “even in the toxicity of it all, that he is my father and I can’t change it.”

Through this process, Gigi learned important lessons about empathy and forgiveness. “I just have to love him for how he is and I just have to understand how painful his past was and have to forgive him for myself,” she reflected.

One of the reasons she chose to forgive and accept her dad was to prevent regret and guilt from lingering in her life. “If things remained the way they are, he’s going to die not feeling that he had an opportunity to say what he needed to say to me. And I was going to live with the silent guilt of knowing that I didn’t give him the platform to do that.”

Gigi’s reconciliation journey reached a turning point when her father admitted his mistakes. “I met him, he was different, and I got the apologies and they had to be enough for me,” she said. “He said he messed up.”

By sharing her story, Gigi Lamayne not only sheds light on the complexities of family relationships but also offers a powerful message about forgiveness and healing. Her openness provides encouragement to others dealing with similar struggles, reminding them that while the past shapes us, it doesn’t have to define our future.