Over the years, many entertainers have had crashed marriages; but not all of them have been able to rise above such situations and keep their careers going forward. Saturday Beats take a look at some entertainers who have blossomed in their careers despite having crashed marriages
Funke Akindele
Social media was thrown into a frenzy in 2022 when popular actress, Funke Akindele’s ex-husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, better known as JJC Skillz, announced on Instagram that their marriage had crashed. That was the actress’ second marriage. Her first marriage had ended in a similar fashion when her then-husband, Kehinde Oloyede, announced the separation between himself and the actress via a Facebook post in 2013, after about a year of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
However, the failure of the marriages did not wither the actress’ acting or production skills in any way as her company, Scene One TV, is still flourishing.
The actress produced and released a new movie titled, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ in December 2022, and it has broken some records since its release.
Two weeks after the end of her marriage to JJC, Akindele was announced as the Lagos deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, as a running mate to Olajide Adediran, aka Jandor.
Tiwa Savage
Ace female singer, Tiwa Savage, got married to her erstwhile manager, Tunde Balogun, aka Tee Billz, in November 2013 at the Ark Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos. However, their marriage crashed badly in April 2016 amid accusations of infidelity from both parties.
A year later, Savage appeared on BBC’s list of ‘100 inspirational and innovative women’. Savage has clinched many awards such as, ‘African Video of the Year’ at the Soundcity MVP Awards 2020, ‘Best Female West Africa Artiste’ at the AFRIMA Awards 2019, and ‘Best African Act’ at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2018.
Savage has also delivered hits such as ‘Somebody’s Son’, ‘Koroba’, and ‘Loaded’.
Iyabo Ojo
Iyabo Ojo has often attributed the crash of her marriage to Adewunmi Ojo to the fact that she got married too early. The popular actress got married to her ex-husband in 1999 when she was just 21 years old. They eventually got divorced in 2001. As a matter of fact, Ojo rose to stardom after she and her ex-husband went their separate ways. Aside from her outstanding screen personality, the actress is also known for creating and posting interesting contents online. In 2021, Ojo was awarded the ‘Best Tiktok Influencer’ at the 2021 Social Media Hangout.
She has also won other awards including, ‘Best Actress of the Year (Yoruba)’ at the 2015 City People Movie Awards, and ‘Best Actress of the Year’ at the 2013 CAMA Awards.
Her love life has also not suffered as she recently revealed that she was in a relationship with a showbiz personality, Paul Okoye, aka Paul O of Upfront and Personal.
Osas Ighodaro
Osas Ighodaro got married to Gbenro Ajibade in July 2015 in what could be described as a star-studded wedding, which was attended by many celebrities. Unfortunately, the marriage barely lasted four years, as the duo went their separate ways in 2019. Since then, the actress has been able to put that chapter of her life behind her, and moved on to greater things. Since her divorce, Ighodaro has continued to put in much energy in her career. She has starred in top movies and series such as, ‘Shuga’, ‘King of Boys’, ‘Rattlesnake’ and ‘Bad Comments’.
She is currently one of the most sought after actresses in the country.
Etinosa Idemudia
Actress, Etinosa Idemudia, tied the knot with a Benin-based lawyer, simply identified as Ighorosa, in September 2020, but barely a year after, the marriage hit the rocks.
Prior to that time, Idemudia had got married to a military officer at the age of 22, but the marriage allegedly crashed due to domestic violence. However, she has been able to keep her career on track.
In 2021, the same year she got divorced the second time, Idemudia bagged the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards as ‘Best Actress in a TV Series (Africa)’.
She also recently produced a movie titled, ‘Dear Sister’.
Kate Henshaw
Actress, Kate Henshaw, has a child with her British ex-husband, Roderick Nuttal, whom she married in 1999. Henshaw and Nuttal’s marriage was dissolved 12 years after it was consummated in 2011. Also, in 2011, Henshaw was honoured by the Federal Government as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic. After her marriage collapsed, Henshaw moved on to bigger things and has taken on lead roles in notable movies. Some of the movies she is known for include, ‘Chief Daddy’, ‘New Money’, ‘Fourth Republic’ and ‘Blood Sisters’.
In 2017, she bagged the Best of Nollywood awards as ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her role in the movie, ‘The Women’.
In 2015, she had been appointed as a Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.
Toke Makinwa
Media personality, Toke Makinwa, and her ex husband, Maje Ayida, were married for three years before their divorce in 2017. Not long after the divorce, Makinwa published a book titled, ‘On Becoming’, where she has detailed her experiences in marriage. The media personality ended her 12-year radio career in 2022, and started her own podcast, ‘Toke Moments’. She was also the host of BBNaija-affiliated show, ‘The Buzz’. This is in addition to other notable events she has hosted, including the third season of ‘The Voice Nigeria’ in 2021, and the ‘Guilder Ultimate Search’ season 12, also in 2021.
She has also won many awards including Net Honours 2021 as ‘Most Popular Media Personality (Female)’ and Africa Youth Award 2018 as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans. She also has a fashion line called, Toke Makinwa Luxury.
Ini Edo
Ini Edo got married to Philip Ehiagwina in 2008 but the marriage ended in 2014. Since then, the actress has remained focused on her career. Aside from being an incredible actress, Edo is also a businesswoman. In 2021, she debuted a luxury fashion and cosmetic brand called ‘Secrets of April’.
Earlier in the year, Edo produced ‘Shanty Town’, a crime thriller released on video streaming platform, Netflix, in January.
In 2016, Edo was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State governor on Culture and Tourism.
