Married At First Sight star Jessika Power shared some devastating news with fans on Instagram over the weekend. The reality TV star revealed that her father has died. Here is what the MAFS star said about his passing, plus details on how she is dealing with the loss.
Jessika Power Shares Devastating Loss
On Sunday, Jessika posted a photo of herself alongside her late dad. She wrote, “…doesn’t feel real. We love you dad. I hope you’re up there having a port with your mates and looking down on us missing you forever.”
The MAFS Australia fan-favorite was open about her relationships with her parents. She was much closer to her dad, Troy, than her mom. Jessika distanced herself from her mom several years ago.
Although Jessika and her father were estranged for many years, they got closer in the years leading up to her appearance on Married At First Sight. He even attended her television wedding to Mick Gould in 2019. Troy even threatened to punch Mick after his best man made a rather inappropriate speech at the reception.
The MAFS star previously opened up about her childhood on the “Lads Dads And Couple Of Beers” podcast. “My mother has sold stories on me, I’ve had best friends sell stories on me,” she shared. “My mother and I haven’t had a relationship in about seven years but she decided four years ago that we were really close and sold stories that were completely fabricated and false.”
Jessika said that feeling her mother’s betrayal was the worst thing she’s experienced in her life. She recalled breaking down on the floor and wondering, “How could she do this to me?”
MAFS Australia Star Didn’t Have An Easy Childhood
After her television appearance, Jessika said that she hadn’t brought up her mom in the media. In fact, she was always turning down interviews about her mother. However, when the opportunity presented itself, she sold a story about Jessika “slandering” her “as a brat.”
During Jessika’s childhood, her mother had a drug addiction. Her mom continues to battle with addiction, which Jessika says is the reason she sold the story. “She needed money,” the MAFS star continued. “She hit on my ex husband saying she would have been better matched with him, saying all of my plastic surgery was disgusting.”
At that point, Jessika said that she was “just sad.” She was able to deal with hate from thousands of people in Australia, but when it came from her own mom, it hurt, especially when she gave up so much for her.
On the podcast, Jessika said that she “gave up her childhood” for her mother. She raised her little brothers and helped her mom every chance she had. “When I gave up my childhood for somebody, I never asked for anything back, it really hurt me,” she said.
