Veteran Nollywood actor Segun Arinze has shared why he remained single for 12 years following the end of his first marriage.
The 58-year-old actor first married actress Anne Njemanze in 1996, but their union ended in 1997.
After a 12-year hiatus from matrimony, Arinze married Julie in 2008, and the couple now has three children together.
Speaking on the WithChude podcast, Segun Arinze explained that he was unsure about finding the right person after his divorce from Njemanze.
The filmmaker recounted being involved in numerous relationships until 2007 when he “cried to God” for a wife. He initially avoided discussing his failed marriage because “people do not share everything.”
“I stayed out of marriage after the first one collapsed. I stayed out of marriage for about 12 years before I remarried in 2008. It wasn’t that I gave up on marriage; I was just really confused about finding the right person,” he said.
“I got into many crazy relationships. I’ve seen it all—good, crazy, and bad. In 2007, I cried to God and said, ‘Father Lord, I have had enough. Can you just give me a wife?’ I remember crying out for help.
“Then, at a wedding, I saw this beautiful woman. I asked my PA to get her number, but he was too scared. Julius Agwu and I were the MCs at the event, which was Don Chi’s wedding. Julius Agwu announced, ‘My brother is looking for a wife.’ I approached her, got her contact information, and invited her to dinner. That’s how it all started. The rest is history.
“We’ve been married for sixteen years now and have three lovely kids. She is a lawyer and also my legal adviser.
“When my first marriage ended in 1997, I kept quiet and said nothing. I let it go. To this day, I haven’t spoken about it and don’t want to. I don’t want to discuss it. It happened. Difficulties will always arise. Everyone has a closet.”