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Love is beautiful, but it can also be tricky.
Two people meet, fall in love, and decide to say ‘I do’ at the altar. A few years down the line, the love is tested. But it doesn’t win.
This is a familiar tale for some of Nollywood’s finest stars. Their weddings were the talk of the town.
Their marriages were admired for being picture-perfect. But the future had a different plan.
Today, some of these stars have embraced single parenthood and have forged ahead with their brands intact, pouring themselves into their craft to build measurable success in their careers.
Others are enviably crushing it as single parents, earning accolades for their dedication to the proper upbringing of their offspring.
In this line-up, get to know the most stylish and remarkable women who are single divorcees in Nollywood.
Osas Ighodaro
The delectable movie star said ‘I do’ to her ex-husband, Gbenro Ajibade on July 4, 2015 in a lavish white wedding ceremony held in New York. The former lovebirds met on the set of Tinsel and hit it off right away.
The union, which produced a beautiful baby girl, lasted only four years before it crashed. Gbenro Ajibade broke the news of their divorce during an interview on Channels TV’s Rubbin Minds with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu in 2019.
Ever since their divorce became public knowledge, the actress has risen tremendously in her career, bagging highly-coveted awards like the AMVCA Best Actress in a Drama twice in a row.
Osas, who is also a former beauty queen, has kept her private life under wraps since then and no news of another marriage has been heard from her camp.
Damilola Adegbite
The 39-year-old actress met her ex-husband, Chris Attoh, on the set of Tinsel where they played on-screen lovers.
On a Friday night in August 2014—the 8th specifically—Attoh proposed to the beautiful actress who was pregnant with their child at the time.
They would later welcome their son, Brian Attoh on August 31, 2014 and tie the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony on February 14, 2015.
However, cracks began to show when on February 14, 2017, she refused to acknowledge their wedding anniversary nor the posts Chris Attoh made on his page.
Attoh later confirmed their divorce in September 2017. He also shared how they were co-parenting despite their busy schedule as actors.
Damilola has since chosen to stay focused on her career and raising her son as wedding bells are yet to ring again for the actress.
Lilian Esoro
Lilian Esoro got hitched to Ubi Franklin in November 2015 and separated a year after welcoming their son.
Esoro was the first to file for divorce in a Lagos High Court, and it was denied. Franklin then filed in Abuja, but it would not materialise until after a few more years. Their marriage was officially dissolved on January 28, 2021.
During an Instagram Live session in 2022, the beauty entrepreneur and film star shared with Pastor Bolaji Idowu of Harvesters International Christian Centre that she battled with depression after her divorce.
While she also mentioned during the conversation with the cleric that she was ready to start afresh in a new relationship, the 42-year-old is yet to publicly announce a new marriage.
Yvonne Jegede
Yvonne Jegede and Abounce Fawole reportedly started dating in 2003. Abounce would later propose in 2016 on her birthday, August 25.
Following their wedding ceremony on February 8, 2017, the marriage between both Nollywood stars would then go on to last for another year until 2019 when Yvonne posted a cryptic message saying, “A strong woman will automatically stop trying if she feels unwanted. She won’t fix it or beg. She’ll walk away” on her Instagram page.
This was shortly after their son, Xavier, was born. It indicated that all was not well in their marriage. Confirming the speculations, Yvonne deleted her husband’s name and photos from her social media accounts.
Finally, in June 2024, during her appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, she opened up on the issues that led to the divorce, citing financial irresponsibility on Abounce’s part as the main culprit.
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The beautiful dark-skinned actress is yet to publicly flaunt a new relationship.
Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele married Adeola Kehinde Oloyede on May 26, 2012. The couple divorced in July 2013, citing irreconcilable differences.
The entertainment mogul later said ‘I do’ three years later in May 2016 to then business partner and Nigerian rapper-cum-actor and director, JJC Skillz at a private ceremony in London.
In December 2018, the couple welcomed twin boys. After celebrating six years of marriage and a fantastic business relationship together, JJC Skillz took to his Instagram page on June 30, 2022 to announce the end of their union.
Ever since they parted ways, Funke Akindele has poured her time into filmmaking and building a successful production company, which has earned her the title of highest-grossing filmmaker in Nigeria.
On the other hand, JJC Skillz has allegedly remarried. Photos of his secret wedding ceremony to a lady named Falilat Raji, an indigene of Kogi State, surfaced on social media in March 2023. This was barely nine months after he announced their separation.
So far, Funke Akindele has not been spotted with a new partner.
