Nollywood actress Laide Bakare has opened up about the circumstances that led to the collapse of her second marriage, alleging that her former husband stopped her from pursuing her acting career and severely restricted her freedom.
The 46-year-old actress, in a recent interview with Oyinmomo TV, recounted how her ex-husband allegedly changed his attitude towards her career shortly after their wedding, despite assuring her family that marriage would not interfere with her work in the movie industry.
According to Bakare, her family had specifically questioned her former husband about whether their union would affect her acting career, but he had assured them that he would support her.
She, however, alleged that shortly after the marriage, he instructed her to quit acting and prohibited her from visiting movie locations.
The actress further claimed that her former husband threatened to deploy security personnel at the entrance of their home to monitor and restrict her movements.
“When the marriage continued, my family asked him if the marriage was not going to affect my career as an actress. He was like, ‘If I miss her, I would go and meet her at the film location’. But immediately I got into the marriage, he said I could not continue acting,” she said.
“He said I could no longer work in the film industry, I could not go to locations. In fact, he said he would station security men at the gate so that before I got to the gate, an alarm would go off.”
Bakare said she endured the situation for about four to five years because her children were still young, adding that her family had repeatedly emphasised the importance of making her marriage work.
Financial Dependence, Restricted Freedom Forced Me Out – Actress
Explaining the final straw that led to her decision to leave the marriage, Bakare identified financial dependence and restrictions on her personal freedom as her major challenges.
She alleged that her husband’s restrictions prevented her from earning substantial income and pursuing her professional ambitions.
According to her, although she initially endured the situation to preserve the marriage, she eventually realised that she could not continue sacrificing her dreams and aspirations.
“What made me leave finally and was my main problem was that I was not financially independent and my freedom was limited. Then I was blocked from making substantial amounts of money. I initially endured because my family had told me that my marriage must be successful,” she said.
“It felt like I had a dream and vision but I could not forge ahead. It would have even been manageable if it was a monogamous family but he had plenty wives and children.”
Actress Involved In Custody Dispute With Ex-Husband
Bakare was previously married to Olumide Okunfulure, an American-based businessman from Ondo State. Their marriage produced a daughter, Simi, before it ended.
She subsequently married Mutairu Orilowo, with whom she has two sons.
The actress recently called out Orilowo amid an ongoing custody dispute involving their children, alleging that his wife was maltreating her two sons.
The latest revelation has brought renewed attention to the actress’s previous marriage and the personal challenges she says forced her to choose between preserving her union and pursuing her career.
