Mercy Aigbe-Gentry: ‘The Major Reason My First Marriage Failed Was Because My Ex-Husband’s Mum Did Not Want Him to Marry from another Tribe’

Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe-Gentry and her husband were featured in the Sunday edition of Punch Newspaper as they couple talked about what has kept their marriage strong, how they have been able to deal with the scrutiny of the media and much more.

Mercy Aigbe-Gentry opened up on her first marriage as well as how things ended.

The couple got married a few years ago and made it official at the Ikoyi Registry in 2013 (click here if you missed it).

Read excerpts from the interview below.

On how he proposed: He took me to an eatery and when we finished eating, he popped the question. I was surprised because I was not expecting him to ask me to marry him. He had not taken me out for a long time so I was stunned when he said we should go out. In fact, I teased him that he had changed, not knowing he had something up his sleeve.

On her reservations about getting married: I had a bad experience the first time, so I had some reservations and I just wanted to face my career, even though I loved him. I decided to put my trust in God and just go with the flow. I was happy and scared at the same time. Then, I was young and naive. Now, I handle issues differently. Also, the major reason my first marriage failed was because my ex-husband’s mum did not want him to marry from another tribe.

On controversies surrounding her marriage: I do not think I have had any controversies since I got married. They were just misconceptions. People thought I married a married man and I was a second wife. What they did not know or care to know was that he was already a divorcee when we met.

On the success of marriage: I would say God. This is my second attempt and I decided to leave everything to my creator. I have handed over my marriage to him so He is in charge. That my marriage has been a success is not my making, even though I have had a role to play in it. I made up my mind to stay in my husband’s house, irrespective of what happens and we both agreed to stick together as a couple irrespective of whatever challenges we might encounter.

On celebrity marriages surviving: I have taken the time to study celebrity couples like Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva who have been married for a long time. They keep their private life away from the public. If celebrities can do that, it would help. Also, they must fight for their home and marriage.

Her husband, Lanre also shared his views on their marriage from how they started to how they’ve kept the fire burning.

Read up the full interview here.

Photo Credit: Instagram/Mercyaigbegentry