- Entertainment
ByThe List Staff
PewDiePie (real name: Felix Kjellberg) is one of the biggest and most controversial stars on YouTube. Felix started his channel, making primarily gaming content, in 2011. Since then, the Swedish YouTuber has gained over 110 million subscribers to his channels. Fans of PewDiePie know Marzia Kjellberg as the internet megastar's wife.
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Because PewDiePie shares a lot of his life on his channel, fans have had a chance to follow the couple's relationship rather closely.Viewers watched from the start of their relationship in 2011 all the way up to their fairytale-like 2019 wedding. As of this writing, Marzia and Felixare proud parents to their first baby and dogs, and seem as happy as ever.
But there's a lot more to Marzia than her marriage to Felix. From her childhood in Italy, her own journey to YouTube stardom, and following her dreams to launch her own business, there's plenty to Marzia's story that even PewDiePie followers may have missed.
Her childhood spent in Italy is meaningful to her
Marzia Kjellberg was born in 1992 in the Vicenza province in Italy. Though she hasn't lived there for years, it's clear her home country still holds significance. In an interview with Evermade, she said, "Whenever I think of Italy, I think of a warm, safe space I can always go back to." She also described Italy as one of three countries she feels the most connection to. The other two are England, where she lives with her husband, and Japan, where PewDiePie proposed to her in 2018.
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Though she's since moved away from home and become a public figure, in some ways, she's still that same little girl. In a 2019Q&A videoon PewDiePie's channel, Marzia and Felix answered a viewer's question about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Marzia said that from an early age, she had wanted to run a boutique and shared that she still had the same dream. Fast-forward a few years, and she basically made that dream a reality:Her home line, Mai Accents, had its first pop-up shop in March 2022. Young Marzia would certainly be proud to see where she is today.
She started dating Youtube star PewDiePie in 2011
PewDiePie and Marzia Kjellberg seem like they were made for each other. But, before becoming the power couple they are these days, it seemed unlikely their paths would ever cross. In 2011, PewDiePie was living in Sweden and Marzia was in Italy. By chance, one of Marzia's friends showed her some of PewDiePie's videos; per the Mirror, the friend suggestedshe take a look at "this idiot playing video games." Marzia got a kick out of his content, so she shot him a message via Facebook.At the time, Felix's YouTube channel didn't have the massive audience it does today, so his fan mail inbox was presumably more managable. He messaged Marzia back, and the two began chatting regularly.
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Despite the physical distance, they connected quickly. According to the Mirror, Felix began saving money to visit his long-distance girlfriend and made multiple visits to Italy within just 12 weeks. It seems Marzia knew Felix was the one because within a few months of meeting him, she quit her studies in Italy to move to Sweden and be with Felix. The following year they moved to Brighton, England, a lovely location between their two home countries.
Marzia was a YouTube star too
In 2012, Marzia launched her YouTube channel, CutiePieMarzia, where she covered all things beauty, fashion, video games, and traveling — with PewDiePie frequently popping up to offer his two cents."I wanted to be able to share my passions with people all over the world, and Youtube seemed the best way," she told Asian iCandy. And share her passions with people she did.Marzia soonbecame the most subscribed-to Italian channel, as well as one of the most popular in the beauty category."I honestly love it and I wouldn't want to do anything else right now, since it's not only something that I love to do but it gives me the opportunity to meet many amazing people and travel all around the world," she added.
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After a few wicked successful years, Marzia was ready to move on. In October 2018, she officially retired from YouTube. That said, she does still pop up in PewDie's videos from time to time. In one such video, shared in March 2019, Marzia told viewers that she initially really missed making content, but she is at peace with her decision to leave YouTube. "I miss being able to have a platform where I can speak about anything I wanted ... but at the same time, it has given me what I wanted, which is the time to focus on something else so [it] feels good to have that."
Marzia found success beyond YouTube
After her YouTube career took off, Marzia beganexploring a wide variety of creative endeavors.Her other projects include voicing a characterin the 2015 live-action puppet show "Oscar's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures," as well as playing herself in video game "PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist," opposite her husband. She's also been in the TV miniseries "Pugatory," which is based on the life of her adorable pet pug, Maya. In addition, she published a young adult novel called "Dream House" in 2015.
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Her artistic side does not end there. Marzia has also released a clothing line, a nail polish shade, and a selection of homeware products. In 2018, she launched Mai, a homeware brand packed with cute pieces. Oh, and she is an illustrator, too. "Nothing compares to the feeling of holding something you created yourself, and being able to make more so that others can enjoy it too, it makes me truly happy!" she told Evermade.Marzia also manages unisex clothing and home decor brand Tsuki Market alongside PewDiePie.
Long before YouTube made her a public figure, Marzia dreamed of making art. "Growing up, my passions were art, fashion and writing. The main thing about me is that I've always been a creative kid," she wrote in a 2016 blog post. "I loved art, my drawings and paintings were often chosen to display and I felt like I had something I was really good at."
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She had to push herself to open up to people
In a 2016 blog post, Marzia Kjellberg (then Bisognin) shared the meaning behind her tattoos. She shared that she got her "shy" ink because she's been "incredibly shy" her whole life. Sometimes that shyness made it hard for her to open up to new experiences and familiar experiences alike. "And we are talking simple things, like going to the grocery store alone, talking to a stranger on the street, [and] making new friends," she wrote.
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For a while, she was in a dark headspace in which she didn't want to go out at all. "I just closed myself inside the house; I would see nobody other than Felix," she said. Marzia decided to get the "shy" tattoo after coming out of that period to remind herself of the progress she'd made "in opening up to people and pushing myself to do things I wanted to do but had always been [too] afraid to even try."
She added that she doesn't see being shy as something she has to change about herself. "It doesn't mean I don't have opinions, or I'm not interested, or I don't want to be a part of something — I do, but in my own way," she said.
She's struggled with body image issues
It may be hard to imagine that someone like Marzia Kjellberg, who was known for posting beauty and fashion videos on YouTube, struggles with insecurities. ButMarzia has been open about her body image issues. "It's no secret that growing up, I was very insecure about my body: all the girls in school started to develop, and I had no meat on me," she wrote in a2016 blog post. "All the clothes were too big, boys made fun of me for not having curves, girls teased me as well — and worse of all — teachers and grown ups did so too."
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More recently, in a 2020 Instagram post, Marzia shared two photos of the right side of her face. She used the caption to explain that the whole time she was posting videos, she hid that side of her face. "My face is so [asymmetrical] I always found it embarrassing. When I started making videos, I found out my favourite angles and stuck with what I liked best ever since. ... I pretty much banished the right side of my face from being [in] photos." she wrote.
But, she's been working to accept herself the way she is. In the same Instagram post, Marzia finished by writing, "I am trying to embrace the side of my face I was never fond of. ... Here is my attempt to being more comfortable in my own skin from now on."
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Marzia felt overwhelmed by YouTube fame
After launching her YouTube channel, Marzia gained subscribers fairly quickly, partly because many fans knew her from PewDiePie's videos. As his channel blew up, so did hers, and she was understandably overwhelmed by the attention. Looking back, she explained, "I was thrilled for Felix, but I felt like I was a fraud. ... I definitely didn't deserve all the attention. I just happened to know someone who did."
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All that pressure came to a head in October 2018 when Marzia uploaded her video "Goodbye Youtube." In the video, she shared the struggles she'd been having with her viewers and explained that she'd decided to step away from YouTube. "This might seem so sudden to most of you, probably, but it is something that I knew for a long time, especially this year. I struggled to find a reason to keep going," Marzia said. Along with uploading her goodbye message, Marzia also deleted a lot of her old content.
Though her leaving her channel was disappointing to some fans, it seems it was the best decision for her. As of this writing, she continues to document her life on Instagram and appears on her husband's channel occasionally so their followers can still keep up with her.
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Marzia is a self-taught ceramist
Though she may have called it quits on YouTube, that didn't stop Marzia from pursuing other creative outlets. In 2018, the former YouTuber opened her own home décor brand titled MaìAccents. In addition to selling knitwear and jewelry, the line also sold ceramic pottery that was created by Marzia herself. In a profile published by 2B Art Gallery, Marzia describes herself as a "self-taught ceramist" who only began her journey in 2018, the same year her brand opened for business.
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Her ability to not only learn a new skill but also monetize it in the same year it is proof that Marzia is both a skilled artist and a savvy businesswoman.While fans might have flocked to the home brand originally in hopes of getting the chance to hold objects hand-crafted by their idol herself, they surely stayed for the whimsical, nature-inspired designs that are entirely unique to Maì Accents. Often drawing inspiration from the animal world, Marzia's ceramic designs frequently feature cat and dog-like faces on adorable mugs and plates
Unfortunately, Marzia shuttered her brand in 2023, writing on Instagram, "Maì's journey has now officially come to an end, but I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH one last time." Though the creative may no longer be producing new objects and designs for the brand, Maì Accents' Instagram page remains active for curious ceramists and knitters alike to peruse the fruit of Marzia's efforts.
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She has her own line of jewelry
Marzia's creative endeavors did not stop with her home décor brand. In January 2023, she announced she'd teamed up with the jewelry company COURBET.Choosing to partner with COURBET, an environmentally-conscious brand, suggests sustainability is a cause close to Marzia's heart. As part of their partnership, Marzia and COURBET crafted a series of jewelry pieces that make use of recycled gold and laboratory-grown diamonds.
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Adding her own touch to original COURBET designs, Marzia's lineincludes a bracelet, single hoop earrings, a pendant necklace, and a ring. While each piece has a touch of Marzia' signature playfulness and feminine sparkle, her gold earrings and pendant necklace are the most personalized items in the collection, as they each bear a cursive "M" for Marzia dangling from their gold base and chain. Her whimsical touch can also be seen in the fact that the diamonds featured in Marzia's line are not just your average white diamond, but they also come in vibrant hues of pink, blue, green, and orange.
There's a meaning behind the glitz and glamor, though. When fans purchase the bracelet in Marzia's line — titled the "LET'S COMMIT bracelet" — 15% of the income from that purchase will be donated to the International Animal Rescue association. This way, lovers of Marzia can not only showcase their commitment to the creator herself but also share in her commitment to protecting the animal world.
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She welcomed her first child in 2023
Longtime fans and followers of PewDiePie and his wife, Marzia, rejoiced when the couple announced that they were expecting their first child in February of 2023. The couple revealed the exciting news to the world with a photoshoot accompanied by a sweetly edited video published to both of their Instagram accounts. In the video, Marzia can be seen holding up a positive pregnancy test and later smiling and laughing with her husband as he caresses her growing belly.
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Five months later, it was announced that the couple had finally welcomed their baby boy on July 11, 2023. Honoring his father's Swedish heritage, the couple named their sonBjörnKjellberg. The popular YouTube updated his followers in a follow-up video this time posted to his YouTube account titled "I'm a dad now." Though Marzia does not participate in the video, her journey into motherhood is captured alongside her husband's journey into fatherhood.
The first shot of the flick is an image of the heavily-pregnant Marzia walking alone into the hospital, and by the end she can be seen stamping an imprint of her newborn son's foot into what appears to be a baby book.Marzia herself has also updated her fans on Instagram with a series of photographs that show the newborn sleeping and smiling alongside his parents. Captioned "Sweet moments," the post shows Marzia grinning for the camera as she lovingly embraces and smiles down at her bundle of joy.
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Marzia and her family now live in Japan
After nine years of calling the seaside town of Brighton, England, their home, MarziaKjellberg and her husband, Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg, packed up and moved to Japan. Felix first bought a house there in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused an understandable delay when it came time to officially relocate. They did not move until 2022. The years-long process not only put the couple's patience to the test, but forced them to really be honest with themselves about whether or not this move would be right for them. As Felix said in one of his YouTube videos, "Having to prolong the process and making it so difficult to move here, it just reassured us even more that that's what we actually really wanted.
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Before the move, Marzia chatted withEvermade about some of her recent illustrations, including one inspired by a trip she and Felix took to Osaka."Japan represents a new chapter of my life I have yet to explore. Something that excites me, but that's also unfamiliar, and can't wait to discover," she shared. "The thought of stumbling across new neighbourhoods, looking at the Tokyo skyline at night, and cooking/learning lots of new dishes are just a few of the things I daydream about!"
It may have been a time-consuming, complicated, and expensive undertaking, but it sure sounds like Marzia and Felix are happy with their move. As for what's next for the family of three? We'll just have to wait and see.
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