Sharon Johal, who plays Sharon on Neighbours, has spoken out about her heartbreaking loss last year.
In a lengthy piece for Mamamia in Australia, the Dipi Rebecchi actress discussed having to work even longer days on the set of the soap due to COVID restrictions, as well as reiterating her recent claims of a “toxic” environment and racist incidents on set, as well as her husband being made redundant at the same time.
She said that she ‘blames herself’ for a slew of various pressures and lifestyle choices that she feels contributed.
“I went through a horrible and extremely brutal cycle of blaming myself,” she added, “as many women before me, and probably as women generally do.” “I kept telling myself that I was working too hard, that I wasn’t sleeping, that I was dealing with extreme job stress, that I wasn’t eating the appropriate foods, that I couldn’t get rid of the negativity in my life… and that I should’ve done more.”
Johal goes into great detail about the anguish she had on set, describing how she began bleeding while on set and was informed frankly by a doctor that she had most certainly miscarried.
She and her husband then proceeded to another expert, who informed her that she had not before being sent home. However, she soon began to have severe contractions and finally fell out from tiredness. The baby could not be seen on the ultrasound, according to an emergency doctor.
“I really wanted to meet the baby and apologize for not being able to provide a secure environment for them to develop. To express regret that mummy was unable to protect you. And that I hoped we’d be able to meet up again. I wanted to assure them that they would always have a special place in my heart, one that could never be replaced or forgotten. I liked them a lot.”
The actress recalls coming to the set and attempting to keep it a secret, which resulted in her sobbing alone in the restrooms, particularly while she was seeing scenes when another character miscarried.
Johal concluded her essay by saying: “Maybe… I realised that talking about it made me feel uncomfortable and tortured. Other women have probably felt the same way, alone, so it’s critical that I’m here, as terrible and personal as it is, to share this with you. I’d want to preach something that I haven’t been able to put into practise.”
I am so sorry you have had so much angst to put up with, and that you lost your baby. I sincerely hope that you successfully come through this quagmire of a mess, and that you and your husband successfully have children in the future…not as a replacement for the one you lost, obviously as that is impossible (that one lives on in your hearts), but as a beautiul extension of your family. God Bless