POPULAR Nollywood actress Funke Akindele on Friday finally admitted that she and her husband, Mr. Kehindle
Oloyede had indeed parted ways.
Her admission came barely 24 hours after she publicly denied that she was separated from her Oloyede, with whom she was married for about 14-months.
Akindele’s denial and threat of lawsuit came after initial reports of the said separation spread on blogs and social media since the beginning of the week. Her husband was reported to have posted on Facebook that he and the actress were no longer together.
“It’s with heavy heart that am announcing the separation of me nd ma wife Mrs Olufunke Akindele, we’ve both agreed to go our separate ways coz of irreconcilable differences. We still best of friends nd we 4ever remain gud friends,” Mr. Oloyede had announced on the social media facility.
Unconfirmed reports say that Oloyode also appeared to retract his initial statement on the separation, after allegedly claiming that his Facebook account was hacked. A new Facebook account was later established, allegedly by Oloyede, but not before the said notice of the separation was deleted, prior to closing the old Facebook account.
“The entire affair appears to follow a pattern of manipulation of the media for which Funke Akindele is known,” said a Nollywood and entertainment commentator based in New Jersey, United States, on Friday evening, adding that the duo are in fact liable for such media manipulation given the conflicting account that the couple have so far issued in the last week alone on the situation of their marriage. “I read in the newspaper yesterday that I am divorced. What proof do you have? And I am taking this to court because my marriage is intact.
You guys are rumour mongers,” Funke Akindele had said in a message earlier in the week, appearing irritated by the news of her separation from her husband. But the actress, popularly known as Jenifa from one of her more popular roles on television, made a volte-face on Friday when she confirmed the separation in a statement through her official publicist, Mr. Ayo Ola-Mohammed. “On behalf of our client, star actress, Funke Akindele, we want to formally inform you that after due consultation and consideration, she’s now separated from Mr. Kehinde Oloyede as his wife,” the statement read. She hereby urges her fans and all concerned to pray and wish her the best as she moves on in her career.
“Kindly note that this is the first and only official statement from Funke Akindele on the matter and will be glad if her wish is respected,” the statement concluded. The confirmation of her separation would no doubt erase whatever feeling of ease that Akindele’s fans may have felt after she initially denied the separation.
The 14-month old marriage has had its own share of criticism and celebration in the media, with observers expressing surprise, and sometimes reservations, about her marrying a man who divorced another person to be with her. “Egba ti won fi na iyawo, o n bo wa na iyale,” said one of such disappointed older fans of Akindele in Yoruba language from her base in Kansas City, Kansas, in the USA, which translates as “the persecution suffered by the previous wife is sure to be visited upon the new wife.” “She is such a beautiful, talented young woman who should know how to make a better choice in men,” the retired grandmother said, requesting anonymity for privacy reasons.