It is said that love can be found in the strangest places, and for some women, they embraced love in the arms of already married men. TOFARATI IGE takes a look at actresses who are married to polygamists
Judy Austin and Yul Edochie
An actress, Judy Austin, was undoubtedly one of the most talked about people in the entertainment industry in 2022, but it was not because of her talent or job.
Many people got to know about her when it was revealed that she had had a baby for another actor and filmmaker, Yul Edochie, who had consequently taken her as his second wife.
In April, 2022, Yul had posted pictures of Judy and their son on social media, an action which generated an instant flurry of diverse reactions.
In a video explaining his reason for taking a second wife, he had said, “It’s been an amazing period of my life. Ever since the news that I married a second wife (broke), it has been crazy.
“At this stage of my life, I think it is possible for a man to love two women because two women can contribute differently to the man’s life.
“Someone cannot come into your life and make so much impact, and you just cannot let the person go. Of course, many people would say, as a married man, why did you allow a woman to come into your life. I said I was wrong and took the blame for that.”
In a letter addressed to his first wife, May, shortly after the news went viral, Yul had written, “To my dear wife, Queen May Yul-Edochie, I acknowledge that I hurt you deeply and I’ve apologised to you countless times.
“I take the blame for my actions. I agree with you that polygamy should not be forced on anyone.
“You never bargained for it from the beginning; neither did I. But, I guess life happens. You already know the whole story. I did not do it to disrespect you. I also did not do it to replace you, or because I don’t love you anymore. I have always loved you and always will. I have been a good husband and a wonderful father.
“I assure you that nobody is trying to take your place. I have apologised to you countless times sincerely from my heart. I am sorry. I have always loved you and always will. We can live peacefully and happily.”
When Nigerians seemed to have moved on from the issue, tragedy struck the family when Yul and May’s first son, Kambilichukwu, died at the age of 16 in March, 2023. Expectedly, many people were of the opinion that the death could not be divorced from the ‘disruption’ Yul brought to his family.
Shortly after that, Judy reportedly had another child for Yul. In a widely criticised post on social media last weekend, she said, “I don’t know where to start from. God loves me so much. I know it might sound strange to a lot of people but God loves me so much. I don’t know if He loves everyone as much as he loves me. I put to bed when it seemed like it wouldn’t happen. He came through for me. He made sure that I am fine and that I came home with my baby.”
However, her post did not go down well with many, as she was lambasted for being insensitive, considering that Yul’s first wife had recently lost a teenage son.
Apparently ruffled by the criticisms that have continued to come her way both within and outside the movie industry, Judy made another video post on social media, claiming that, “To the people who hate me, who curse me, who attack me without knowing anything about me, I want to say a very big thank you. Without your curses, God won’t be blessing me as much as He is blessing me now. Without your curses, I won’t have come this far in life so soon, so fast. I’m thanking you for making it your duty to lay curses on me every day, and by so doing, giving God the reasons to bless me every day, without me working for it or lifting a finger.”
Mercy Aigbe and Kazim Adeoti
Popular actress, Mercy Aigbe, is not a stranger to controversies. Her marriage to a socialite, Lanre Gentry, hit the rocks in 2017 amidst allegations of domestic violence and infidelity.
However, in January 2022, it became evident that she would give matrimony a second chance when she hinted that she had accepted to get married to a businessman and movie marketer, Kazim Adeoti, aka Adekaz. She wrote on social media, “Finally, I said yes to ‘D’ Owner’. Thank you, God, of many chances.”
Not surprisingly, her revelation kicked up a storm on social media, with some accusing her of wrecking Adeoti’s marriage.
Adeoti’s first wife, Funsho, did not help matters as she claimed that her husband cheated on her with Mercy. In a statement she put out on social media, Funsho wrote, “I introduced you to Kazim as my friend. I called and personally invited you and your ex-husband to the 40th surprise birthday party I did for my soon-to-be ex-husband.
“You were a constant friend of mine back then. I brought you close as a friend because I liked you, but you repaid me by sleeping with my husband.
“As for you, Mercy, let us cut the crap. We were friends, but shame and your glam lifestyle will not let you admit it. You have been sleeping with Kazim since your son was only five months old.”
On her part, Mercy stated that she had done nothing wrong, as Adeoti, who is a Muslim, was entitled to marrying more than one wife. During an interview with an online platform, MediaRoomHub, she said, “Please, I want to beg Nigerians. I am not the first person to be a second wife. It is my choice, and I am happy with it. If you can be happy for me, be happy for me. If not, go and get busy. I am happy. Just leave me to enjoy my marriage, please.”
She added that she married out of love, and not for money like some people had insinuated. She said, “I did not marry my husband for his money but because he is my best friend, and I love him. After my bad marriage, I decided to concentrate only on my career and children. But, when he came into my life, there was so much joy and peace. He is a good man, and I tell him all the time, so when he proposed to me, I decided that I did not want to lose that beautiful experience.”
In the same interview, Adeoti stated that he was not ‘snatched’ from his first wife, but married Mercy on his own volition. He said, “It is not true that they snatched me from my first wife. I am an adult, and I decided to marry Mercy of my own volition. Mercy and my first wife were never friends. My family is in the United States of America, and I shuttle between there and Nigeria because of my business.
“Some people think I am separated from my (first) wife because my family is not in Nigeria, but that is not true. We are good together. Although there were issues due to what was going on, everything is under control, and we are back to normal. I am a Muslim, and my religion permits me to marry more than one wife. So now, I am married to two wives. I have two beautiful women, and I’m glad. Everything is good.”
However, some of Mercy’s fans accused her of being two-faced and inconsistent, as she had once warned ladies not to get married to men who already had wives. In a YouTube video, she had said, “If you are dating a married man, collect his money because that man is already married. Some stupid girls would be dating a married man, and they would be doing love (sic). But, sister, he is not yours. He belongs to another woman, don’t go and collect chocolates and flowers as a gift from a married man. If you do, your head needs to be re-examined.”
Regina Daniels
When actress, Regina Daniels, got married to her politician and lawyer husband, Ned Nwoko, many felt she was too young to get into such a union. A lot of eyebrows were also raised due to the huge age disparity between them, which runs into decades.
Also, Nwoko was married to four other women at the time, and was known to be a serial polygamist.
However, Regina’s mind was already made up, and nothing could dissuade her from marrying Nwoko. In an earlier interview with Sunday PUNCH, she noted that she did not pay heed to those criticising her marriage because of the age difference between them. She said, “I have nothing to say to them. (Marrying my husband) was my choice.”
Asked what she liked the most about being married to Nwoko, Regina said, “I feel free. I can do whatever I want, dress how I like, live my life the way I want. My husband is always pushing me to be a better person. He wants me to be more exposed and see the world in a different way. As a matter of fact, there are many things I enjoy about the marriage that I cannot explain.”
Recalling her first impression of him, she said, “The first impression I had when I met him, which I will keep saying, is that he looked like a farmer. We actually went on a tour of his house in the village (Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State) and he was so polite and educative. He wanted us to know about nature and the world in general. He also wanted us to experience different things, so he was always trying to educate us on that particular visit.”
Revealing his reasons for marrying the young actress, Nwoko also told Sunday PUNCH, “When I met her, I did not even know who she, was because I don’t watch movies, whether British, Nigerian or American. Also, I am not a social media person. Up until that time, I did not have Facebook or Instagram accounts. So, I didn’t know about Regina until she came to my house with her family on a tour. My house in the village is a tourist attraction of sorts.
“I liked her when I saw her, especially when I found out that she was from that place. I had always wanted to have somebody (a wife) from my side. We were introduced to each other and one thing led to another. That was when I found out she is a very decent girl. I have always said that I wouldn’t marry anybody who isn’t a virgin, and that is very important to me. When I found out that she was a virgin, it reinforced my decision to marry her. I married all my wives as virgins.”
Dismissing concerns about the issues raised over their age disparity, Nwoko added, “Age does not matter. It is only in one’s mind. As long as somebody is an adult, age is never an issue in anything I do.”
In December 2022, Nwoko, who is married to six wives, had stated that men who refused to marry more than one wife were contributing to the level of immorality in society.
Omowunmi Ajiboye and Segun Ogungbe
An actress, Omowunmi Ajiboye, took many by surprise when she became the second wife to a fellow actor, Segun Ogungbe. What made her case more interesting were the reports that she was best friends with Ogungbe’s first wife, Atinuke, before they became co-wives. However, in different interviews, the two women have denied that they were friends before respectively getting married to the actor.
In an earlier interview with Saturday Beats, Ogungbe stated that contrary to what some might think, he had a peaceful home despite having two wives. He said, “I have a peaceful household. God has blessed me with wives that understand each other. It is only God that can help a man have a peaceful home. However, for those who think that I would have about 20 wives like my uncle (Akin Ogungbe); all I have to say is that they should mind their business.”
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Ajiboye had also opined that inter-marriage between actors was the best. She added that she loves her husband because he is ‘creative, intelligent, smart and handsome’.
