Exclusive: When it comes to motherhood, it’s a relatively new role for Jessica Mauboy but she’s absolutely loving every minute of it.
The 36-year-old pop star has been in the spotlight for over two decades now, since first shooting to fame on Australian Idol in 2006, but there’s a reason why she’s keeping her daughter out of it.
Jessica Mauboy has been in the spotlight for over 20 years, but there’s one simple reason why she won’t be showing her daughter online. Don Arnold/WireImage
Mauboy and her husband Themeli Magripilis welcomed their daughter Mia in January 2025, but they’ve made the choice to keep her off social media.
While it’s a decision many new parents are facing in today’s world, for the singer it’s got a lot to do with her own upbringing.
“I think that’s probably from my experience of being in media, since a young age,” she told nine.com.au.
Mauboy was originally a country singer, which started at around age 11.
“I was doing a lot of travelling already, doing festivals, performing in front of – obviously smaller – crowds, but they were big to me then,” she explained.
“I was so young, and being in such gown-up spaces, where they’d be in pubs, whether they’d be at big shows, dance shows, or the major celebration get-togethers from people from everywhere.”
Mauboy reflected that she was very much in the media even then, and it wasn’t as big as it is now.
“But again my photos were taken, and I didn’t really have a lot of control,” she said.
Jessica and her husband Themeli Magripilis made the decision to not show Mia online and at first were nervous about how their friends and family would react. Instagram/@jessicamauboy
She said even at the time her parents didn’t really have a lot of knowledge about it, and they were all learning it.
“Just meeting people who knew a lot more than we did, and sometimes it was really scary because my parents and I didn’t have any control,” she continued.
“So, I think it’s about knowing when and where and how and who, [to share] Mia with, for me.”
Early on after welcoming Mia the couple were a bit nervous about what people, especially family, were going to say about the decision to keep her off social media.
“I think at the beginning, we were worried, like ‘What are family going to think? What are friend’s going to think, how are they going to connect with her?’” she said.
Even before her time on Australian Idol in 2006, Jess had been in the spotlight and that has really shaped her perspective as a mum and what she wants for her daughter. Getty
But they had nothing to worry about because Mauboy said, “it’s been wonderful”.
“It hasn’t affected us at all,” she added.
The Burn hitmaker explained that they’ve actually been able to see everyone in the flesh with Mia.
Mauboy said that because of work she’s been able to travel a lot, which is something she’s so thankful for, and it’s also given them the chance to go back and forth to see family.
“I think it was really important for her to see people in the flesh, particularly with Mob,” she explained.
“People can do it on the phone and people can do it with technology these days that for us we’re trying to kind of set that example of being, being in the flesh.”
And when it comes to touring and travel for Mauboy, the next few months after only going to get busier.
Things are about to get even busier for Jess this year, with a big tour and more gigs coming up in the next few months. Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images
On August 1 her The Story Of Me Tour will kick off in Brisbane and continue on to Hobart, Canberra, Geelong and Melbourne.
It started as a one off at last year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival and at the City Recital Hall as part of Great Southern Nights and now has turned into a tour.
Audiences can expect heartfelt ballads, some of her beloved classics and powerhouse anthems, although she admitted there’s always a chance of requests from the audience too – which she said she gets a kick out of.
But among those dates she’ll also be heading to the Mundi Mundi Bash in Silverton and a celebration concert for John Farnham in September in Melbourne.