Veteran Nollywood actress, Ireti Doyle, has finally broken her long-held silence regarding the end of her marriage to fellow actor and broadcaster Patrick Doyle, explaining why she deliberately chose not to discuss their divorce in the public eye.
The former couple, who tied the knot in 2004, officially finalized their divorce in early 2023. They have notably maintained a professional working relationship despite their separation, keeping their private lives strictly out of the media glare. In 2022, Patrick married his new wife, Olufunmilayo, a union he publicly confirmed in March 2023.
Speaking during a recent appearance on The Morayo Show, Ireti candidly revealed that her decision to keep quiet about the divorce stemmed from a simple conviction: her personal life is nobody’s business.
The 58-year-old film star emphasized that she felt no obligation to explain the end of her marriage to the general public or her fans.
According to her, the only people deserving of any explanation were the close friends and family who witnessed the union from the beginning.
“First of all, you did not hear anything because it was none of your business. Two people come together and decided to get married. There is a celebration.
“If you do it right, you have a few friends and family around you and you carry on with life. Sadly or unfortunately, something goes wrong, you can no longer continue on the journey to life together,” she stated.
She further noted her refusal to be accountable to a public audience that ultimately “do not care.”
“The only people you owe explanation to only if at all, are those family and friends that gathered on Day one. You see this larger audience that you are performing for, they do not care,” the actress added.
During the interview, Ireti also discussed her intentional effort to avoid becoming fodder for social media gossip and clickbait during such a vulnerable period in her life.
“And God forbid, I personally, knowingly, give myself up for clickbait. Why are you bleeding all over the internet? You are not going to win. Who are you explaining your [situation] to?” she asked rhetorically.
Reflecting on the emotional toll of separating from a long-term partner, she advised focusing on self-reflection rather than public validation or blame games.
“The end of any relationship is painful. Whatever the circumstances. I am not apportioning blame. Sit down and understand what went wrong for the sole purpose of not making the same mistakes again,” she concluded.
