Afro-pop star Kelly Khumalo says ending her relationship with baby daddy Senzo Meyiwa was difficult, because she still loves him.

Kelly opened up to True Love magazine about her relationship with married soccer star Senzo, a controversial affair which propelled them into the often unflattering tabloid limelight.

The singer and actress insists that Senzo never told her he was married, and the relationship got complicated when she made the startling discovery of her status as side chick.

Pregnant with the Orlando Pirates keeper's baby and frequently criticized by the media for stealing another woman's man, Kelly was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but eventually realised that she had to let him go.

"We had conversations together. It was not easy, especially for him. One minute we'd talk and he'd accept that we had to go our separate ways. Then later he'd realise that 'I don't want to do this', and he'd come in and out of my life," she explained of the difficult task of ending the relationship.

"That wasn't fair to me or the kids. I'm just happy with myself and the way things are now. When you love someone, you should set them free. If they're meant to be with you, they'll come back. It was hard for me because I still love him. I think I'll love Senzo forever."

And Kelly says she knows for certain that he still loves her too.

"Senzo's not a talkative person; he's not good at articulating himself. With him, you make conclusions based on his actions. So you can imagine how confusing that can be. But one thing I know for sure is that he loves me. I know that not being romantically involved with me is killing him, just as much as it's hurting me," she divulged.

"It was a very hard decision to make, but I felt that he needed to deal with his issues."

Kelly added that her love life has taken a back seat so she can focus on being a mother to her daughter and son Christian, her child with incarcerated rapper Molemo 'Jub Jub' Maarohanye,

"My daughter's name - Thingo Lwenkosazane - means rainbow," she explained.

"She was named by my sister, Zandi, and it fits perfectly with my situation before and after she was born. The rainbow comes after a storm, and having her feels like the storm is over."