Jessica Marais reunites with ex-boyfriend after mother’s death

Actress Jessica Marais reunited with her ex-boyfriend Jake Holly, as she mourns the death of her mother, Karen, who passed away last week.

The Packed to the Rafters star, 35, shared a photo with Jake to Instagram on Saturday, where they nestled in close to one another at a Sydney beach.

Jessica’s friend and former co-star Hugh Sheridan confirmed the heartbreaking news of her mother’s passing in an Instagram post on Tuesday. 

In the photo, Jessica wore a grey sweater and pink beanie, and wrapped her arms around Jake who took the shot. 

Jake shared the same photo to his Instagram Stories, captioning it: ‘I can see her in your eyes, always good seeing you Jess x,’ alongside a red rose emoji.

On Tuesday, Hugh Sheridan, 35, confirmed the passing of Jessica’s mother Karen in an Instagram post that said: ‘I’m grieving for my dearest and sweetest friend, who has now lost both of her parents far too young.’   

Last Saturday, Jessica had hinted at a death in the family when she shared a childhood photo to Instagram of herself with her mother and sister at the beach.

While she did not disclose her mother’s death in the caption, several of her friends understood the significance of the post and offered their condolences.

Jessica was just nine years old when she watched her father, university dean Tony Marais, collapse and die of a heart attack.

In 2011, Jessica told News.com.au that she was haunted by her father’s death, and lived in fear of losing other loved ones in the same way.

But she credited her mother with helping the family ‘pull through a very hard time’.

The Logie winner added: ‘It’s sort of something you relive I think, everyone that has lost someone… you relive it every day. It feels fresh, but obviously time does heal a lot of wounds and I’m definitely much better at coping with it now.’

It has certainly been a tough year for Jessica, who shares an eight-year-old daughter, Scout, with her ex-fiancé, actor James Stewart.

Four months ago, emergency crews were called to her home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for a welfare check.

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 2, she was walked to an ambulance where she was put on a gurney and taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick.

A witness told Daily Mail Australia she was not wearing any shoes, her hair was a ‘dishevelled mess’ and she was in a ‘visibly distressed state’.

Fortunately, she appeared happy and healthy several weeks later as she spent time with Hugh and other supportive friends.

In June, Jessica shared a heartfelt open letter to Instagram about ‘loneliness and growth’ following her hospitalisation.

In 2014, Jessica spoke about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

‘I was diagnosed at one point with bipolar. I have developed ways to talk myself down from any ledges I find myself on,’ she told The Australian Women’s Weekly.

‘There’s probably one day a month when I am an absolute mess. In my case it’s hard to separate what is due to trauma or stress and what is due to a simple chemical imbalance.’