Jamie Bartlett and his girlfriend Rosa Onious. Picture. Instagram
Monday, May 23, marked a year since the untimely death of Jamie Bartlett, and family and friends reflect on the larger-than-life of South Africa’s respected theatre legend and TV actor.
Bartlett, who was best known for his role as David Genaro on e.tv’s “Rhythm City”, suffered a cardiac arrest a year ago.
“He took his last breath on the 23rd of May 2022 in his sleep while surrounded by his loved ones after suffering a cardiac arrest,” read a family statement.
Taking to her Instagram on Monday afternoon, Bartlett’s long-term partner Rosa Onious shared a series of pictures and videos of Bartlett during some of his happiest and most intimate moments with family and friends.
The videos were accompanied by a lengthy caption detailing her heartbreak and pain since Bartlett’s unexpected death exactly a year earlier.
“Time is now 16:17. I finally found the courage to get out of bed and face the severity of the sadness that this day brings to my existence,” she wrote.
Reflecting on that devastating moment, she added: ‘’Today marks exactly a year, 1 whole year since you departed from this earth and left us. The time was 18:15, which is the exact time I chose to post this.”
“My heart is shattered all over again, today I’m filled with anxiety all over again. Depressed!!!
“How did a year go by so fast? It still feels like yesterday.”
In her post, Onious continued, paying a moving tribute to her late partner, thanking him for the memorable time they spent together.
“Jamie you are loved and missed dearly, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of you and your remarkable presence in my life.
“We mention and mimic you around the dinner table all the time. The house still feels so empty without your presence. I managed to rearrange the house to make it liveable, we have finally found the strength to display and hang all your achievements/ awards/ photographs etc in the dining room.”
Onious also opened up about the “trauma of being the one who discovered” Bartlett’s “lifeless body”.
“Why did it have to be me? I still can not get over the verity that it is it,” she said.
In another Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Onious spoke about her about how she dealt with her grief in the past year.
“Time does not heal, IT DOES NOT...,” she shared.
“...we be out here living our best lives with hearts filled with pain, we be out here smiling with hearts filled with pain, we be out here giving the best life advices with hearts filled with pain, we certainly be out here moving on with hearts filled with pain.
“We learn to live with pain, Pain becomes part of our daily routines.”
See the full post below.
Bartlett spent his last moments dancing and partying with close friends, including Somzi Mhlongo, at a popular hangout spot, 012 Lifestyle, in Brooklyn, Pretoria.
“And just like that....last night wud be the last night together literally...... I even made fun of u for greeting each and every person @012_lifestyle_brooklyn including the kitchen staff....yo spirit knew.....farewell my Jamie.....💔💔💔💔💔,” wrote Mhlongo at the time.
“You lived as if you knew you had less than 12 hours on this earth.”