Kaunda Selisho

By Kaunda Selisho

Journalist


‘They tried everything but it was too late’ – Jamie Bartlett’s girlfriend opens up about his passing

Jamie Bartlett will be laid to rest in Cape Town in a private ceremony and his life will be celebrated in a memorial service in Soweto.


The girlfriend of late seasoned actor Jamie Bartlett has given her first interview since his passing.

Speaking to The Juice, Rosa Onious explained what happened on the fateful day that her lover passed on. She told the publication that they had received the autopsy results and that Jamie Bartlett’s cause of death was listed as “cardiac arrest.”

This comes after Bartlett died in his sleep on Monday evening aged 55.

What happened to Jaime Bartlett?

According to Onious, Jamie took his usual afternoon nap on Monday- something he liked to do on days when he was not booked to work, however, she struggled to wake him up. 

She told the publication she tried to wake him up at around 5pm as he was set to meet some friends later that evening.

“I said Jamie, Jamie, [but] Jamie didn’t look up,” she said.

“Jamie’s not waking up, he’s not waking up, and I called my mom, who was outside, and she tried everything,” she added. 

The pair reportedly called emergency services who were said to have arrived within 15 minutes.

ALSO READ: Former ‘Rhythm City’ actor Jamie Bartlett passes away

“They tried everything to resuscitate him, CPR, everything, but it was too late,” said Onious. 

In addition to being Jamie Bartlett’s girlfriend, Onious also served as his manager. 

Bartlett was best known for playing the role of David Genaro in the eTV soapie Rhythm City and the shady Mike O’Reilly in the SABC3 soapie Isidingo. A close family member confirmed his passing on Monday evening.

A number of his colleagues took to social media and broadcast platforms to share tributes to the man they knew and loved as they try to come to terms with the news.

He will be laid to rest in Cape Town and his life will be celebrated in a memorial service set to be held in Soweto. Details will be confirmed and shared in due course. 

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