20th May, 2011
Celebrities in Nigeria are always seen to be happy and when they are in public, they relish the show of affection from their fans. But ask most of them about their marriages and the smiles and joy would immediately fade away. This is because most of the ladies have become spinsters again as a result of either a crack in their marriage or outright divorce. P.M. Entertainment’s investigation revealed that an average of one in every four celebrities drawn from both the entertainment industry and the world of business is either divorced or living out of wedlock. When they get married, it is always the talk of the town and a lot of people spend weeks replaying the events, but when it is time for divorce, they leave their fans with mouths agape over sordid tales and revelations relating to their marriages.
The long list of celebrities whose marriages have crashed includes Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church and his former wife, Tina; Bukky Wright and Bolaji Basia; Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, whose case is till before a court in Lagos State. Others include Kefee and Alec Godwin; Eucharia Anunobi, Segun Arinze, Tunde Kelani, 9ice and Tony Payne, Soul E and Queen Ure, who was said to be far older than the musician and lots more. While some of these celebrities divorce and only a few Nigerians know about it, others reveal the pains they went through while the relationship lasted on the pages of newspapers. This makes people wonder why they tied the nuptial knot in the first place when they were not ‘mature’ enough for marriage. In the case of Chris Okotie, a musician who later became a clergy, it was alleged that he actually divorced his wife and got married to a fellow divorcee, whose husband is said to still be alive and against Biblical doctrine that when a man is divorced, he should remain unmarried. The same Okotie was said to have discouraged Emmanuel Okose popularly called Soul E, from getting married to his now estranged wife, Queen Ure, because the woman, a former banker, was older, while the man, observers believed, only wanted a platform to climb to limelight. The duo went ahead and got married and decided to establish their own church in Omole area of the metropolis. Soul E, a popular musician, also moved into Queen Ure’s house located in the area, but the relationship crashed in the midst of media attention. While Ure likened him to a parasite who fed off her and that financial problems added to the break up, Soul E claimed that they were never married in the first place, insisting that they never exchanged vows in a church or visited any marriage registry. In 2009 that this happened, several other celebrity marriages also hit the rocks. For example, Monalisa Chinda, a beautiful actress, broke up with her husband, Segun Dejo Richards. While their marriage lasted, Monalisa was reported several times as saying that it was made in heaven and that only death would do them part. But when the break up came, Monalisa shouted to whoever cared to listen, that she was the punching bag of the same man she eulogised on the pages of newspapers. Several attempts to win her back by her husband proved abortive and the man, unable to bear being lonely, moved on with his life by getting remarried to another lady.
For a long time, Eucharia Anunobi’s fans saw her as a role model, especially as she was seen to love her husband, Charles Eku. But things soon changed with the man running out of home on allegations that he was actually the ‘wife,’ while Eucharia was the ‘husband’. They dragged themselves to court to seek divorce. While the actress told the court that she caught Eku on their matrimonial bed with her house help, the man, who said he could no longer manage the troublesome wife, jetted out of home without giving a hint he was leaving for good. The case has been in court since then. Sultry actress, Jennifer Eliogu’s five-year old marriage crashed just few months after she delivered her second son. She allegedly lost her husband, an international businessman and their apartment at Lekki, to a Swiss. The gale of divorce also swept through the home of a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, who was jailed for fraud. George was ditched by Dr. Kaine Dosekun just before he was convicted, because she could not play the role of a second wife after she lost her place to more favoured Roli Adeniyi. Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, is also swimming in the divorce mess. The lawyer who stood for Monalisa in her divorce case, had his wife, Isioma Irene, demanding N20 million alimony after filing for divorce. She alleged that Keyamo neglected her and their children, which the lawyer refuted, claiming that they are no longer compatible. Talented actress, Hilda Dokubo, who later served in the cabinet of former Governor Peter Odili as a commissioner, was also saw her husband, Karo Mrakpo, fleeing from home, to live in a hotel after she accused him of infidelity. The man also accused his wife of infidelity. One other celebrity wedding which crashed and left people wondering was that of former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) boss, Anthony Kojo Williams and his estranged wife, Remi. The 15-year old marriage hit the rocks due to allegation of incompatibility. They were said to be living separately. While Kojo, as a man whose social lifestyle makes him a sought-after celebrity, his wife, an orodentist, is said to be conservative and unassuming. Two Nigerian stars who never dreamt of becoming single after marriage are Stephanie Okereke, who got married to Chikelue Iloenyosi, a footballer, in 2004 and Irikefe Godwin popularly called Kefee.
In fact, Kefee had told the world that she was married to her best friend, Alec Godwin, since they had been together in church before they finally tied the nuptial knot. According to her, “we have been together before he even became a producer. We have been very close for a very long time now. He is someone I love and I knew I can stay with. “I married someone I love. And I really don’t want to lose him to any other lady. It is good to get married because that would make you get focused. I do not think it will affect my career because we have our plans. Married life has been good, it has been fun. I am very happy and I have more control over my life now.†But when their marriage crashed, tales of infidelity and infection with one contracting venereal disease from the other filled the air and they have since gone their separate ways. In Stephanie’s case, she was the one who went to court to seek dissolution of the marriage on the ground that her husband was sleeping with other women. The latest of such crashed celebrity marriages is that involving two royal families in Edo State. When Prince Aven Akenzua was to marry Gabriella, the daughter of the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, his family allegedly kicked against it because of the disagreement between both families. Just two years after the wedding which could be termed ‘one in town,’ both of them are in court for dissolution of the marriage, while it was learnt that Chief Igbinedion brought in soldiers to move his daughter’s property from her husband’s house located in GRA, Benin City. Several other celebrities have tasted the sour aspect of life. They include Segun Arinze and Anne Njemanze, Fathia and Saheed Balogun, Abolore Akande alias 9ice and Toni Payne, Sade Omoniyi a.k.a. Lepa Shandy, whose husband allegedly left her due to her alleged inability to bear a child. Others are Shan George, who was said to be married to a much older man, Nwosisi; Obot Etuk, who got married to a much younger actor, Ernest Asuzu and now has three children out of wedlock; Sandra Achums, who now has two children from two different fathers; Ibinabo Fiberesima and Clarion Chukwurah. Star actor Fred Aseroma joined the long list on Wednesday last week, when a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, dissolved his marriage to Blessing. The presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, dissolved the marriage on grounds that it had broken down irretrievably. Fred, who filed the divorce suit, claimed in court that Blessing had come to his life to destroy him, while the woman, on her part, said Fred and his brothers had been beating her. While many have attributed the inability of these celebrities to maintain fame, others say it is because when they become famous, they begin to see their partners as not being compatible with them. “Don’t forget that most of the celebrities got married before fame came their way and when they become popular, they get new friends who try to influence the way they now act and behave,†says Amanze Judith, a marriage counsellor in Surulere area of Lagos. According to her, allegations of infidelity by some of them may be true because with fame women come flocking around the men and men who are wealthy begin to seek the women, not minding their marital status. “Remember our ladies these days don’t bother whether you are married or not, all they care about if you are a celebrity, is to sleep with you,†she added. — Eromosele Ebhomele & Bayo Adetu