Former Married At First Sight bride Zoe Hendrix has given a rare and vulnerable interview detailing everything from her motherhood journey and relationship with ex Alex Garner to racism in Australia.
In a chat with The Grace Tales, Zoe was asked if she felt pressure on her relationship with Alex after the birth of their daughter Harper in 2016.
“In hindsight, I have learned that you don’t know who you’ve married until you have a child,” she confessed. “Sometimes it’s not what you agreed and it’s not how you thought things were going to go.”
Zoe added that she was surprised to find herself “day in day out” doing a lot more work than she realised, often by herself even when she returned to full-time work.
“I would say I’m quite a modern woman. I have modern views about parenting and gender roles. But I would say that that wasn’t a shared attitude. I didn’t really realise this until after we had our child. I’ve learned a lot from that experience,” she explained.
Zoe and Alex broke up in 2018 after four years together.
Zoe, who along with her twin brother was born in Africa amidst the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war, also commented on the recent Black Lives Matter protests and racism in Australia.
“As Australians, I want us (as a priority) to address the injustice and inequality that Indigenous people have faced for too long,” she explained.
“I also would like to see more education around race and racism, both interpersonal and at the institutional level. This is a matter of human rights and the dignity of all people in our world. And finally, the goal at least in my opinion is substantive change. Equal opportunity in education, work, media representation, and under the law. Not just feel-good sentiments.”
Mum-of-one Zoe also explained that whilst she isn’t an expert or trained in education, she’s determined to actively teach her daughter about anti-racism.
“I believe that it is not enough to talk to our children or read to them about being anti-racist. We must SHOW them by practicing it in how we conduct ourselves,” she said.
“How we speak, how we engage with others from different cultures, and who we point to as role models for ourselves. My child is still very young, but I know that she listens more to what I do than what I say.”
Zoe, who has nearly graduated her law degree, added that she finds a lot of freedom and empowerment in being a single mum.
“Harper is thriving and the light of my life. It’s time to re-frame how we perceive single mothers. There’s a lot of single parents that are very happy with their life and kicking goals.”
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