In the glittering world of Nigerian entertainment, celebrity marriages are often painted as flawless fairy tales. Glossy wedding photos, coordinated outfits, and public displays of affection dominate the headlines. But behind the glam, many of these unions face the same and sometimes greater struggles as ordinary couples.
What makes these couples stand out, however, is their transparency. By speaking about counseling, compromises, or hardships, they inspire ordinary couples to face their own issues without shame.
From infertility trolling to public scandals, here are ten Nigerian celebrity couples whose experiences reveal the hidden challenges of love in the limelight.
Mo Bimpe & Lateef Adedimeji: Battling Infertility Trolls
Actress Adebimpe Oyebade aka Mo Bimpe and her husband, actor Lateef Adedimeji who got married in 2021, have become frequent targets of online trolls fixated on their family life. Since their wedding, Mo Bimpe has faced accusations of being “barren,” with the trolling escalating in early 2025 when a TikTok user claimed Lateef would soon take a second wife. Mo Bimpe fired back, warning that “someone will be made a scapegoat” for such hurtful comments.
In January 2025, Lateef defended her on the WithChude podcast, saying:
“People don’t know what you go through, and they don’t know your decisions.”
And on Instagram, reacting to fake pages and abusive comments, he wrote:
“Awon werey eyan.” (Yoruba for “mad people”).
Despite the cruelty, the couple continues to project unity by attending premieres together and publicly supporting one another. Their ordeal underscores how cultural pressures around fertility make celebrity women like Mo Bimpe easy targets, turning private struggles into public spectacle.
Banky W & Adesua Etomi: Miscarriage, IVF, Hyperemesis, and Resilience
Singer Olubankole Wellington aka Banky W and actress Adesua Etomi-Wellington are often celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most admired couples since their 2017 wedding. But behind their enviable romance lies a journey marked by pain, resilience, and vulnerability.
In 2021, they revealed that Adesua had suffered a miscarriage after undergoing IVF treatment, losing twins in the process. The couple later welcomed their first son, Hazaiah, through another round of IVF, breaking cultural silence on infertility struggles in Nigeria.
But their challenges didn’t end there. In 2024, while expecting their second child, Adesua faced hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe pregnancy complication that causes extreme nausea, dehydration, and weight loss. The condition left her bedridden for months, requiring hospitalization in both Lagos and Washington, DC. In March 2025, following the widely reported death of a UK woman who took her own life while battling the same illness, Adesua went public about her own ordeal.
“When I talk about the seriousness of hyperemesis gravidarum, people don’t get it and I hate it… It is not an ordinary morning sickness. It is a serious condition that literally affects the quality of your life,” she wrote on Instagram, while expressing gratitude to her husband, doctors, family, and friends for their support.
Her candid post sparked conversations across Nigeria about maternal health and the need for greater awareness of pregnancy complications that are often dismissed.
The ordeal was compounded by another blow. The actress revealed her husband, Banky W had to undergo a second surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, even as she battled her pregnancy sickness. By the end of 2024, Adesua required an emergency C-section after her life was threatened again during delivery.
Reflecting on her 37th birthday in February 2025, she described the year as “traumatic,” recounting her simultaneous battles with hyperemesis, her husband’s cancer scare, surgery, and the harrowing recovery period that followed.
Despite the darkness of that season, the couple emerged stronger, welcoming their second child and choosing to share their testimony publicly. Their openness turned what could have remained silent suffering into a source of comfort for many Nigerians facing similar health challenges.
Afeez Owo & Mide Martins: When One Fight Went Viral
Actor Afeez Owo recently revisited the marital crisis he and his wife, actress Mide Martins, endured back in 2016—a period that saw rumors of their separation dominate headlines. Speaking in August 2025, he explained that the issue began as “one serious fight” at home. In anger, he left the house intending to cool off at a hotel.
But the private quarrel quickly spilled into the public arena when Mide posted about it on social media. According to Afeez, that single action escalated matters, with blogs and fans amplifying the story until it became a full-blown marital crisis. He admitted bluntly: “Social media made the matter escalate even more.”
The couple eventually reconciled, with Mide apologizing and the two moving forward. Afeez’s reflection highlights how fragile celebrity marriages can be when private disagreements are exposed online, where speculation and gossip often make reconciliation far more complicated than it would be in ordinary circumstances.
Davido & Chioma: Grief and Scandal
Few Nigerian celebrity relationships have been as public, celebrated, and scrutinized as that of Afrobeats superstar Davido (David Adeleke) and his wife Chioma Rowland. Their love story, once the subject of glamorous headlines, has also been punctuated by some of the most painful moments a couple can endure.
In October 2022, tragedy struck when their three-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, drowned in the family’s Lagos home swimming pool. The shocking loss sparked nationwide mourning, with tributes pouring in from political leaders, fellow celebrities, and fans worldwide. The couple retreated from public life for months, grieving in private. When they later re-emerged, many noted a visible change. There was less public flamboyance and more guardedness in how they shared their family life.
In 2023, Davido revealed in a CNN interview that he and Chioma had welcomed a set of twins in the United States, describing their birth as “double joy after double tragedy.” The news was met with widespread celebration, with many Nigerians seeing it as a symbol of healing and divine restoration for the couple after the heartbreaking loss of Ifeanyi.
Yet, their challenges didn’t end there. In July 2025, new controversies surfaced when a Snapchat user alleged that Davido had been unfaithful to Chioma. The anonymous accuser claimed that Davido had been financially supporting her with luxury gifts and hush-money payments, sparking a storm of online speculation and harsh commentary. The accusations trended across social media, reviving conversations about Davido’s history of alleged infidelity.
Queen Mercy Atang & David Oyekanmi: Social Media Tensions
Former Big Brother Naija star Queen Mercy Atang and her husband David Oyekanmi have repeatedly faced speculation about the state of their marriage due to their activity on social media. In October 2024, Queen deleted their wedding photos and unfollowed her husband, sparking rumours of a split. She later clarified that the move was an attempt to protect their relationship and take it “off social media.”
By June 2025, she explained further that her actions were to reduce unwanted attention and direct messages her husband had been receiving. Still, the couple’s periodic unfollows and deleted posts throughout 2024 and 2025 continued to fuel public chatter about the health of their marriage, even as they occasionally appeared reconciled.
Tawa Ajisefini & Mayowa Alli: From Public Bullying to Parenthood
Nollywood actress Tawa Ajisefini endured years of online abuse during her marriage to Mayowa Jamiu Alli, with trolls mocking her as “barren” after she struggled to conceive. She spoke openly about the emotional toll of these attacks, saying they left deep scars.
In August 2024, the couple welcomed their first child, a moment widely celebrated by fans and fellow actors. The birth marked a powerful turning point after years of enduring cruel public comments, showing how celebrity couples often face their most intimate struggles under relentless scrutiny.
2Baba & Annie Idibia: Infidelity, Rehab, and a Public Breakup
The marriage of 2Baba (Innocent Idibia) and actress Annie Idibia has been one of Nollywood’s most dramatic love stories, marked by highs and painful lows. Their challenges were first laid bare in 2021, when Annie accused 2Baba of disrespect and alleged inappropriate closeness with one of his ex-partners. The public fallout continued into 2022, when 2Baba issued a candid apology.
Same year, the couple briefly tried to rebuild, even featuring together on a reality TV show and later renewing their wedding vows in a private ceremony, an attempt at reaffirming their bond. But by January 2025, the marriage had finally collapsed. 2Baba confirmed the separation in an Instagram post.
Shortly afterward, reports emerged that Annie had been admitted into rehab.
By February, 2Baba had already gone public with a new relationship, proposing to Edo lawmaker Natasha Osawaru. They had a traditional wedding in July and by August, Natasha was reported to be expecting his child.
For Annie, in March 2025, she resurfaced quietly on social media, wiping her Instagram page clean in what many saw as a symbolic move to start over.
Their story which was once framed as a Nollywood fairytale ended in heartbreak, with Annie struggling to heal and 2Baba moving quickly into a new chapter.
Biola Adebayo & Oluwaseyi Akinrinde: A Peaceful Parting
Actress Biola Adebayo surprised fans in June 2025 when she publicly confirmed that her marriage to Oluwaseyi Akinrinde had ended. What many didn’t know was that the couple had actually been separated since April 2024.
In an Instagram post marking her ex-husband’s birthday, Biola described him as “my ex-husband and my baby daddy,” explaining that they had chosen to “maturely and peacefully co-parent our dear son.” She admitted that the past year had been emotionally draining, writing that while she often appeared cheerful in public, “my pillow is drenched with my own tears almost every night for the past 14 months.”
Despite the pain, she leaned on her Christian faith for strength, declaring: “I gain strength from Christ who loves me eternally and gave Himself for me.” Biola also made it clear that her decision to speak up was about owning her narrative.
To silence speculation, she stressed that their split was not due to abuse: “We never! I mean never had any physical abuse or violence issue from either of us.” Her openness showed that even in celebrity circles, separation can be handled with dignity, honesty, and an emphasis on co-parenting.
Funke Akindele & JJC Skillz: High-Profile Split and Co-Parenting and Moving On
Actress and politician Funke Akindele and filmmaker Abdulrasheed Bello (JJC Skillz) were once celebrated as a power couple. They collaborated on films, co-producing Jenifa’s Diary, and raising their blended family together. Their glamorous wedding in 2016 and the birth of their twin boys in 2018 gave fans the impression of a perfect home.
But by June 2022, JJC announced their separation on Instagram, writing in part:
“Dear friends and family, I need to let you know that Funke and I have separated.“
The news stunned Nigerians, especially because Funke was at the peak of her career, with box-office hits and political ambitions on the horizon. Since then, she has been open about the realities of raising her children mostly on her own. Speaking on the WithChude podcast in April 2025, she admitted that she is the only one raising their children.
JJC, on his part, moved on quickly. There were reports that he took a new wife in Kano in 2023. Their split, though relatively civil compared to some celebrity breakups, exposed how fragile marriages can be, even when both partners appear outwardly successful.
By 2025, Funke had rebranded herself as more than just an actress but as a producer with record-breaking films.
AY & Mabel Makun: Years of Crisis and a Firm Break
Comedian and filmmaker Ayo “AY” Makun and his wife Mabel Makun have had a marriage marked by repeated public crises. Their separation was widely reported in April 2024, ending years of speculation about their relationship.
In August 2025, AY firmly denied reports that he was seeking reconciliation, describing the claims as false and threatening legal action against outlets spreading them. Their story, stretching back to public disputes as early as 2016, reflects the cycle of reconciliation, renewed tension, and eventual separation that many celebrity couples endure under the spotlight.
Conclusion: Behind the Glamour, the Struggles Are Real
From infertility trolling to tragic loss, public scandals, and quiet separations, these stories reveal a sobering truth. It’s that fame does not shield couples from the pressures of marriage, it often magnifies them. Nigerian celebrity unions, like ordinary ones, are tested by grief, distance, temptation, and societal expectations. What makes their struggles different is the glare of public attention, which can turn private pain into national conversation.
Behind the coordinated outfits and Instagram posts, these couples remind us that love in the spotlight is anything but easy.
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