28th March, 2014
Funsho Arogundade
After barefaced lies and many denials, Nollywood actress, Nuella Njubigbo has confirmed her long-rumoured relationship with movie director/actor, Tchidi Chikere.
In a statement made available to P.M.NEWS by Nuella’s PR reps, BigSam Media, on Thursday, the actress did not only confirm her illicit affair with Tchidi, but announced that they will soon be getting married.
“Let me start by confirming some of the rumours you may have heard. Yes, the traditional marriage rites between Tchidi Chikere and I will be performed soon. This was not the way we imagined or planned it, but as they say, nobody has a crystal ball to tell where or who we end up with. Life is a dice,” Nuella said in the statement.
When news broke in 2012 of the crack in Tchidi’s 9-year old marriage, all fingers were pointed at Nuella. Many even cursed her that she broke another woman’s marriage. But in a chat with P.M.NEWS then, Nuella denied dating Tchidi whom she described as ‘a senior colleague and friend’.
“I was surprised seeing a lot of false write-ups on me, putting my name in what I knew nothing about. Tchidi is just my senior colleague that I respect and work with,” Nuella had said then.
The Jujuwood star continued: “Tchidi and I have always been friends (As I am with other colleagues). We trade in the same industry and we have never crossed that line (we never dated), let alone being impregnated by him. I know some naysayers would still believe what they have made up their minds to believe and stick to it. The truth is, I am not making this statement for those set of people and I am not making it to get people on my side. This statement goes out to those who love me and truly care about me and the way I live my life, and to my very reliable and supportive fans that deserve to know the truth.”
Nuellla has now made her romance with the movie director public, stating that it was the rumours of an affair between them that ultimately brought them together. The actress explained that the incessant rumours that both of them were dating made her open her heart to him and then their love blossomed.
“In the past two years, Tchidi and I worked more. We got closer and more friendly, we were both single and I began to understand and see the real him. I was getting to know more and more about him every passing day. Then it happened, our hearts clicked. Well, maybe the flying rumours contributed to this and made me look more his way, or it could have been part of life we have no control over,” she argued.
Nuella said a few months after they started dating, Tchidi proposed to her and after a very careful thought and consideration, she agreed to marry him.
“Would I say no because of what people would say and damn where my heart led me to? My heart is remarkably at peace with this decision, and I am willing to take this leap of faith which every married woman has taken. Where this love will lead me I cannot say, I am not God, but, I have hope, faith and believe that it will lead me to a good place. Every one of us in this life deserves a chance to be happy. I am taking my own chance,” she said.
But for the first time Sophia Chikere, Tchidi’s estranged wife and mother of his three kids, commented on the issue since her separation from her husband in 2012, describing Nuella’s statement as a big lie.
Sophia, in a statement received Friday morning, reiterated that she initially found the news hard to believe because she and Tchidi are still legally married since they are yet to divorce.
“I swear with my life, my children’s life and everything I have that Nuella started dating my husband before he walked out of the marriage. But because I respect my husband a lot, the father of my three boys, I have kept calm and won’t talk and comment because there is no need to wash our dirty linens in public. Tchidi is a wonderful husband and father and will always be.
“But if Nuella opens her mouth and says that she wasn’t dating my husband before he left the marriage, if she continues to lie let her not see anything good in life and if I’m lying let me not see anything good in life.
“These questions are for Nuella. Nuella since you broke my marriage, have I called you? Have I looked for you? No! After what you did, you still have the right to lie and say you were not in the picture. You want to deceive the public? But you can’t deceive God. You put what God has joined together asunder and made my children cry to bed every night.
“I keep calm and you have the audacity to say that you weren’t dating my husband when we were together? Let the wrath of God be your portion. Now that you have taken my hubby and you are getting married to him like I heard, are you happy? Are you fulfilled? Let the Almighty God fight for me and judge you. Let vengeance be of God who knows everything and sees everything. My God is able and he’s not asleep. He sees. He knows and feels what I feel. He is the Lord who cares for me and my kids,” Tchidi’s wife said.
Some months back, after many denials, stories started flying around that Nuella has moved out of her parents’ home in Okota, Lagos to a new apartment in Graceland Estate, Ajah in Lagos State.
P.M.NEWS learnt that Nuella, a graduate of Imo State University and who recently completed her national youth service in Delta State, has moved in with Tchidi.
It was learnt that the two lovers are planning to hold their traditional marriage in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria.