Like Nollywood actor Gideon Okeke who recently announced the end of his four-year marriage, another Nigerian celebrity couple, this time around singer Oritsefemi and wife Nabila Fash, are headed for a divorce.
Ms Fash confirmed they were officially separated during a live video session with popular OAP Daddy Freeze on Wednesday night.
Ms Fash stunned her host when she revealed she and the singer were separated but not officially divorced.
It was the first time she publicly confirmed the status of her shaky union with the famous singer.
In February 2021, Ms Fash hinted at troubles in their marital home through several subliminal Instagram posts.
She accused the singer of having intercourse with an unidentified female on their matrimonial bed.
That was the last time their marital issues ever made news headlines.
But days before their lavish 25 November 2017 wedding, the singer told PREMIUM TIMES that he would never starve his wife of sex.
Speaking further, the dreadlocked-spotting singer also proffered some advice for husbands-to-be & promised to stay faithful to his wife.
In the interview session, which also had Yetunde Oduwole as a guest, Ms Fash, an ex-Multichoice staff member, drew the public’s attention to the fact that she was the victim of domestic abuse.
Speaking more on the issues that led to the separation, Ms Fash said, “I want people to know that domestic violence is not just physical. So let’s not concentrate on the physical part.
“I’m not here to put anyone down because, at the end of the day, before you marry someone, you love them. And when you get married, you are not hoping to divorce or get separated or whatever.”
The talent manager, who primarily represents footballers, including former Manchester United player Jude Ighalo, said excuses marred her marriage to the ‘Double Wahala’ singer.
She said that the singer always gave excuses for his excesses, like growing up in a slum or not having enough love when he was growing up.
“But as women, we can’t play the role of God, the role of a mother, the role of a therapist and everything in the life of a man,” she noted.
Ms Fash said that as a private person, the worst thing that could happen to her had her story in public.
“Last February, I got a call that there was a strange woman in my house. I remember driving back to the house; the only thing I picked up from the office was my mobile phone. I remember calling my stepchild on my way home.
“My marriage to him was sacred, but I eventually became someone else. I was even out of order because when you get to a certain pain, you can’t even control yourself anymore,” she said.
She said that at that point, it became necessary for her mental health to take a decision that was not easy, that brought her to the end of separation.
‘‘We had issues having our biological child, but I was a lovely mother of two wonderful girls from different women, but he thought he was doing me justice by having kids outside without my knowledge. It became necessary for my sanity and mental health to take a decision that wasn’t easy.
‘‘There were also times he got physical with me twice, but the most I had was more verbal and emotional abuse. I also had to deal with constant cheating, and at some point, I was told I had to deal with it because of the industry he worked in. However, at some point, I became numb to the cheating and saw it as normal but for him to have a child without telling me, made me feel betrayed.
She added that Oritsefemi has refused to sign the divorce papers because he believes they will reconcile.
‘‘I already filed for divorce three months ago, but he isn’t accepting. He feels it is one of those days where we would later sweep it under the carpet and take pictures forming couple goals. Then his excuse for cheating was that he is looking for a son, and I’m happy he finally got one.”
Love lives here
Ms Fash said despite four months of separation; she still loves her husband.
“I love my husband so much. It hurts me that I’m doing this. Even now, I will never want to say anything wrong about him. I always made excuses for him.
“It’s not easy; I wouldn’t even lie. I still have days when I roll on my big bed, wishing I had my husband by me,” she added.
In her opinion, marriage should be beautiful, and once it’s no longer attractive, there is no point in couples wasting their time.
“I don’t even want to be enemies with this person. I shared six good years with this person. Why would I want to be an enemy? He taught me how to be tolerant. He taught me how to be a mother.
“From nowhere, I got married, and became a mum immediately after I got married, looking after two girls, going to school meetings and all of that,” she said.
Background
In February 2021, when their marital crisis came to the fore, Oritsefemi denied the accusations of infidelity.
The singer claimed that his wife’s social media posts about “a certain woman engaging in sexual activities in their matrimonial home in her absence had nothing to do with him”.
He added that he does not cheat on his wife or invite strange women to their home.
The singer’s former manager, Lady Kar, backed up Ms Fash’s claims on Instagram, stating that he leads an “adulterous lifestyle”.
