By Adebola Adebayo
Nollywood seems to glory in bad behaviour. It sometimes seems actors go out of their way to court controversies. This year alone, several scandals have unfolded, from actresses said to be sleeping with a cleric, Yul Edochie’s rumoured second wife, to Funke Akindele’s separation from her husband and Kalu Ikeagwu’s messy divorce case.
Marriage breakups have become so pervasive in Nollywood that one gets the impression that it has become a badge of honour in the industry, so much so that supposedly happy marriages are simply waiting to adorn the divorce or separation badge.
This was the case with Ikeagwu’s marriage. The six-year-old marriage between Ikeagwu and Ijeoma is without doubt over. It seemed a happy and peaceful union that one wonders how such union could just simply collapse, seemingly overnight.
Ijeoma Ikeagwu, the estranged wife of Nollywood actor Kalu Ikeagwu, had recently narrated to an Ikeja High Court how the actor’s habit of smoking cannabis made her to be fearful for their children’s safety.
Ikeagwu had filed for divorce from his wife and is seeking custody of their children in a suit marked ID/8939HD/2021. He had told the court that his wife denied him sex. However, Ijeoma said she had been living in fear in her marriage because of her husband’s irresponsible lifestyle, including smoking of cannabis and refusal to take care of her and the children.
In the open court, it was revealed how Ikeagwu, which he denied, gave the wife sexually transmitted diseases that led to the loss of the wife’s pregnancy, and how any sexual relationship between the couple had ceased. It was all so sordid and one begins to wonder how things got to that point.
In a Daily Sun interview in 2019, barely two years earlier, when asked about his marital life, Ikeagwu had gushed, “I have been married since 2016 and it has been good all the way. I have two kids and it has been a most wonderful experience.”
Indeed, how can a “most wonderful experience” suddenly turn to such animosity and bitterness? How can love suddenly turn to a desire to fight dirty in public and possibly throw each other under a train? It beats the imagination.
There is no doubt that Ikeagwu saw something wonderful in Ijeoma for him to take the step to tie the knot with her. He had a pool of beautiful actors and women around who would have married him at the drop of the hat. But he obviously wanted something different, which he saw and admired in Ijeoma.
Ikeagwu had once said, while narrating how he met his wife, that her beauty and courage endeared her to him. On location in Enugu, in one of the movie shoots, Ikeagwu said it was Ijeoma that drove them around town. And when he had a problem with the police, Ijeoma stood solidly behind him. “It has made me remember I have a gift in her,” says Ikeagwu.
It is rather strange that a woman Ikeagwu was so effusive about at every opportunity will suddenly become such a problem for the same man. What has happened, who could be responsible for the turn of event in the once peaceful relationship? And why was it so difficult to mend fences until the situation deteriorated beyond redemption?
While it may be difficult to pinpoint the origin of marital problems in Nollywood, there is usually a common thread with all the crashed marriages in the industry, which is infidelity. In Ikeagwu and Ijeoma’s case, it is most likely that infidelity reared its ugly head again. The accusation of sexual infection and loss of pregnancy, and subsequent denial of sexual alliance is a clear indication that infidelity played a huge part in the collapse.
Another likely culprit is drug use. Ijeoma accused the husband of smoking cannabis. If the accusation is true, then it certainly begs the question of the state of mind of the actor. Cannabis has been known to induce social anxiety and withdrawal, and erratic behaviour. Ikeagwu had in one of his previous interviews claimed to be a ‘spiritual’ person. One wonders how any spiritual or responsible father will deliberately expose his children to such dangerous habit – Ijeoma claimed Ikeagwu took the children out for strolls and would usually purchase and smoke cannabis at some joints during the strolls.
It is so sad that crashed marriages have become a fashion statement, especially in the entertainment industry. Crashed marriages today are almost like asking what label someone was wearing. As the divorce case of the Ikeagwus unfolds, it is clear, though unfortunate, that more mudslinging will occur. In these situations, the children and the likely impact of their parents’ irresponsible behaviour are never ever considered. For instance, in his testimony in court, Ikeagwu confessed that the last time he sent money for his children’s upkeep since the separation was in November 2021 yet he is seeking custody of the children. The wife also claimed he has refused to even pay their school fees.
The pathetic aspect of these bad behaviours in Nollywood is that because of the influence the industry commands, many young people are beginning to see marriage crashes as cool. When will the men in Nollywood stand up to this menace? Who or what will bring sanity to this madness?
