Jess Mauboy: husband, career, and 2025 update

Few Australian artists have balanced pop stardom, acting, and entrepreneurship quite like Jessica Mauboy. From her runner-up finish on Australian Idol in 2006 to becoming the first Indigenous Australian to top the ARIA Albums Chart, she’s built a career that defies easy labels. Now, as a new mother and independent label owner, she’s writing her next chapter on her own terms.

Born: 4 August 1989, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia ·
Famous for: Runner-up on Australian Idol (2006) and subsequent music/acting career ·
Spouse: Themeli Magripilis (married 2022) ·
Children: One daughter (Mia, born January 2025) ·
Notable songs: ‘Never Be the Same’, ‘Fallin’’, ‘Little Things’

Eight verified moments that define Jessica Mauboy’s life and career, from birth to her 2025 independent move.

Does Jess Mauboy have a child?

Yes. Jessica Mauboy and her husband Themeli Magripilis welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Mia, on 13 August 2025 (Australian Women’s Weekly). Multiple outlets, including Now To Love and an Instagram post, confirm the birth date.

Mauboy has said she and her husband choose to keep their daughter off social media, valuing privacy despite her long public career (Nine.com.au).

Who is Jess Mauboy married to?

Jess Mauboy is married to Themeli (Them) Magripilis, a soccer player and fitness professional (Now To Love). The couple married in 2022 after being together for over a decade. Magripilis is occasionally reported as working in finance or consulting, but his direct involvement in sports is the most consistently cited background.

What does Themeli Magripilis do for work?

• Long-term career: professional soccer player and personal trainer (Now To Love)
• Other mentions: finance/consulting roles appear in entertainment media but lack primary confirmation (WHO Magazine)

The implication: Magripilis maintains a relatively low public profile, so his exact job title remains one of the few fuzzy details in Mauboy’s biography.

How did Jessica Mauboy meet her husband?

Mauboy and Magripilis met at a nightclub in Darwin when she was 18 (Now To Love). They have been together ever since, with a relationship spanning more than 15 years before their 2022 wedding. No specific date for their first meeting is publicly recorded.

What happened to Jessica Mauboy? (Career update)

In 2021, Mauboy left her role as a coach on The Voice Australia after Seasons 10, 11, and 12, citing touring and recording commitments (PopCulture.com). She then returned to independent artistry.

In August 2025, she announced she had split from Warner Music and launched her own label, Jamally Records, releasing the single “While I Got Time” the same day (Wikipedia). The label’s name is a tribute to her Indigenous heritage — Jamally is a Kuku Yalanji word.

Why did Jess Mauboy leave The Voice?

• She needed to focus on her music career, including touring and recording (PopCulture.com)
• Her teams did not win the competition, but she said the experience was positive overall

Who did Jessica Mauboy lose to in Australian Idol?

In the 2006 fourth season of Australian Idol, Mauboy finished as runner-up to Damien Leith (Wikipedia). Despite the loss, she signed immediately with Sony Music Australia and launched a career that has outsold many winners.

How rich is Jessica Mauboy?

No official net worth figure exists. WHO Magazine estimated around USD 6 million (approx. AUD 8.84 million) as of 2020, but this is not corroborated by primary sources. Mauboy reportedly bought a Sydney apartment for AUD 1.8 million in 2016 (WHO Magazine). Her income streams include music sales (2.8 million+ units), acting fees, endorsements, and her Desert Rose Australia brand.

What are Jessica Mauboy’s songs and ethnicity?

Mauboy’s ethnicity is Indigenous Australian (Kuku Yalanji) and Timorese-Indonesian (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Her most popular songs include “Never Be the Same”, “Fallin’”, and “Little Things” (National Portrait Gallery of Australia). She has at least five top 10 albums and fifteen top 20 singles in Australia.

What is Jessica Mauboy’s ethnicity?

Her mother is Aboriginal Australian (Wakaman and Kuku Yalanji), and her father is of Timorese-Indonesian descent. She was raised in Darwin with four sisters and remains connected to the Indonesian Missionary Uniting Church (WHO Magazine).

What are Jessica Mauboy’s most popular songs?

• “Never Be the Same” (2008) — debut single, peaked at No. 2 on ARIA singles chart
• “Fallin’” (2013) — from the album Beautiful
• “Little Things” (2022) — independent release
• Other hits: “To the End of the Earth”, “Psycho” (with Stan Walker)

What others say

“We choose to keep Mia off social media. She’s our little world and we want her to have a normal childhood.”

— Jessica Mauboy, speaking to Nine.com.au

“Going independent with Jamally feels like coming home. I can make the music I want, when I want.”

— Jessica Mauboy, cited in Wikipedia

Two distinct voices, one consistent message: Mauboy values control — over her family’s privacy and her creative direction.

What this means for fans and the industry

At 35, with a baby, a Hall of Fame induction, and her own label, Jessica Mauboy is no longer just the girl from Darwin who almost won a TV show. She’s a proven entrepreneur who’s navigated major labels, TV judging, and film roles without losing her cultural identity. For the Australian music scene, the lesson is clear: invest in artists who own their story, or they’ll build their own platform. For fans, the next chapter — with Mia and Jamally — is one worth watching.

Related reading: Lisa Wilkinson: Career, Family, and Move to Ireland

For a deeper look at Jess Mauboys personal and professional journey, including her baby news and biggest songs, check out this detailed profile.

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