Following a viral cheating scandal with cheesecake at the centre, Sonia Booth has described herself as a “Phoenix rising from the ashes”.

The businesswoman and former TV star explained during a recent interview with Radio 2000 that, after an almost two-year divorce battle, she is finally free from her ex-husband, Matthew Booth.

While she is ready for a new chapter in her life, she said the divorce process took an immense emotional toll on her.

“The divorce was granted only just less than two months ago,” Sonia said.

“It was a year and five months of a legal battle, heavily contested and (it was) nasty.

“It drained me emotionally, physically and financially but I think all that was necessary because I was not about to settle under terms that were going to come back to bite me later on in life.”

She added: “It’s been quite a ride, quite a roller-coaster and I'm just grateful for the support system that I have because had it not been for that, I would not be sitting here with you today.

“I think I would have either been in a mental institution or I would have actually died and I’m not exaggerating when I say that, you know, I survived, I see where my life had to be spared.”

Sonia also said that going through a divorce was more difficult than being in ICU.

“I thought surviving ICU was the worst experience. No, it was not; the last year and five months have been.”

Sonia and Matthew Booth. Picture: Facebook.

“If I ever needed to know what hell looks or feels like, I've been there and I came out of it. What you see now is a Phoenix and there's no stopping me because I have been through it.

“I've been through the fire and the fact that I came out of it alive from those ashes it means you've got another force that you’re going to have to put up with.

“The point I’m trying to make is that all that I have experienced in the last year and five months happened for my own good.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason and it was all to strengthen me, to test my faith and to see how well anchored I am. It happened for me to see what an incredible support system I have.”

Sonia added that her mother, her aunts and particularly her two sons have been her “pillars of strength”.

“Having my boys show me the love that they show me. Not once did they ever judge me, they love me unconditionally, they remind me daily of what an incredible mother I am and that's what keeps me alive,” she said.

“My boys are my reason I’m still alive.”

Sonia and Matthew’s marriage was cast into the spotlight in November 2022 after it emerged that he was alleged having an affair with Bongani Mthombeni.

She took to her social media accounts at the time to expose him allegedly cheating on her.

Her social media posts at the time detailed how the former footballer had an almost one-year-long relationship. She detailed how she hired a private investigator and used her car’s tracking device to expose the alleged affair.

The whole drama was such a hot trending topic that it even landed her on Google’s Year in Search 2022 list of South Africa: Trending People.

It also emerged that Matthew had baked a cheesecake one night but in the morning it was gone.

Sonia believed that he baked it for his mistress and she said that she left the cake carrier on the garage floor where he parked to show him she knew about the alleged infidelity.

She decided to capitalise on this ordeal by launching her business Marula Cheesecake Passion. She also sells alcoholic ice cream, frozen yoghurt, liqueur and alcoholic popcorn.

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Sonia Booth on her divorce: ‘It drained me emotionally, physically and financially’