Celebrity Marriages: A Case Study Of Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

A lot of persons have this warped misconception about celebrity marriages and, this is because they expect a lot of perfection from them. Celebrities, whether from the film industry, music industry, fashion industry and the likes have fashioned their lifestyle in the art of make-believe so, it’s no wonder that people expect so much from them; forgetting that they’re humans just like any other person out there.

Celebrities are just like you and I but with an elevated social status so, it makes no difference that their marriages should be any perfect.

Ondo state-born Nollywood star actress, filmmaker, serial entrepreneur and mum of four, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, got married to her Edo state-born husband, Captain Matthew Ekeinde on 23rd March 1996 when she was just 18 and, he, 26.

Her acting career started around same time so, it was somewhat easy for her to pull through. Then came more children plus extra fame and, the pressure began to pile up.

Not so many people knew how she managed to juggle motherhood, marriage and a blossoming career yet, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde did her best to keep her marriage intact.

Most definitely, there would’ve been times when her marriage threatened to hit the rocks; especially with the kinda rumours and scandals that were flying around at the time.

A lot of people had thought that with what was going on, Omotola and her husband should’ve gone their separate ways. There were also speculations that their marriage would crash instantly but, that never happened.

The Ekeindes fought hard to give their marriage another chance to stand. The scandals were enough to tear them apart but, they chose to ride on the backs of adversity and keep their heads up.

Many people wonder how a woman as famous as Omotola has stayed put in one marriage for more than two decades and, you can bet that it’s no mere rocket science. They visibly love each other and, rather than let their differences tear them apart, they used it to build themselves stronger. Just like the Warri people will always say – WE DIE HERE!!!

Getting married and staying married are two different things altogether. The Ekeindes got married really young so, you can say they were not so experienced about what to expect. Life took its toll on them and, reality set in. Did they have their couple fights moments? Obviously, there must’ve been cases like that but, they NEVER, for once, brought it to social media. That alone would’ve given the social media keypad warriors the opportunity to wade into their marriage and escalate issues beyond proportion.
Safe to say that the Ekeindes found a way to manage their troubles internally without bringing it to the full glare of the public. They’re one of the most lovable private celebrity couples you can find around; not because they’re any perfect but because they made the love they share with and for each other very paramount.

These days, we hear of celebrities getting married today and tearing up tomorrow. What went wrong? You might want to ask. What was the basis and/or foundation of their marriage in the first place?

How do they cope when there’s pressures from within? What do they do when they don’t feel anything for each other again?

Do they feel pressured to bring their marriage matters to the corridors of social media for some sort of relevance and validation?

Do they give unnecessary updates about their marriage online because it makes them feel important?

As much as you should do what makes you happy, decrease the rate at which you feed your marriage matters to the public.

Everyone has their own destiny to fulfil and, we all must not go through the same route.

If the Ekeindes could survive 25 years together as husband and wife, then, that marriage is both workable and achievable. They didn’t come through 25 years because it was any pleasant; what they shared was much more important than any other thing. Celebrities shouldn’t just get married for the fun of it; they should love their partners beyond what they see as normal. Marriages that stand the test of time are no mere happenstance; a lot of hard work was invested in it. Except in the cases of domestic violence and other severe instances that causes a couple to separate and/or divorce, a good marriage is achievable!

By: Nonye Uwandi