Fifteen years after the death of legendary Kikuyu Benga singer Queen Jane, alias Jane Nyambura, her family is finally opening up about the private battles she endured in the final years of her life.

In a recent interview, Queen Jane’s sister, Lady Wanja, revealed that the celebrated musician fell into depression after getting involved in a toxic relationship that eventually contributed to her untimely demise.

“Jane fell sick after she fell into depression. This is after she met a man and made him her husband. He is the one who depressed her till she died,” Wanja said.

According to Wanja, Jane kept the struggles in her marriage hidden from the public and even her family.

The singer was determined to maintain a strong front, even as she silently suffered emotional and physical abuse behind closed doors.

“She tried to hide it because she also did not want such issues being in the public. She was in a toxic relationship. He would beat her, not take care of her when she fell sick, eat her money, not even pay for her hospital bills. We were the ones who took care of that,” Wanja disclosed.

One particularly painful memory for the family was when Jane collapsed at a bank after finding out her account had been emptied.

“He had withdrawn all her money. She went to the bank and when she saw the balance, she collapsed. That was the beginning of the end,” Wanja said.

The family eventually discovered the truth about Jane’s troubled relationship and took steps to help her.

They moved her out of the house she shared with her husband and welcomed her to the home of her other sister.

Wanja added that they were even considering flying her abroad for treatment when her health worsened.

She claimed that despite the man’s mistreatment of Jane, he never left her side, but not out of love.

“He didn’t run away. He was there, living with her. Ilikuwa uchungu. The marriage was not perfect because it was done through the back door,” she said.

The trauma did not just affect Queen Jane, it shook the entire family.

Wanja believes the pain of losing Jane deeply affected their mother, whose health deteriorated thereafter.

“Our mum tried to show us that she was not scared and stunned by her death, but deep down, she was,” Wanja said.

Queen Jane passed away in 2010 at St Mary’s Hospital in Nairobi after a long illness.

At the time of her death, she was 'married' to a man identified as James Kariuki.

She did not have children and was laid to rest at her parents' home.

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In a separate story, Caroline Waithera, the second widow of the late Mugithi singer John DeMathew, shared her frustrations following the singer’s passing.

Waithera disclosed that for two years after his death, she received equal royalty payments alongside the first wife.

However, things took a different turn when she decided to venture into content creation.

She revealed that attempts to seek legal support were unsuccessful, as DeMathew had not left behind a will or any written agreement to support her claims.

Source: TUKO.co.ke