Omotola Jalade On Temptations in Marriage, Keeping Passion Sizzling, and Divorce

In a new interview, Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde opened up on whether she's been tempted to cheat on her husband and how she has kept her marriage of almost 20 years passionate. She spoke to Ekerete Udoh on what has been the source of her martial success and the challenges she may have faced remaining true to her values and vows. Below are some excerpts;

The secret of her success in marriage.

“I have been favored by the Lord”, she began. “I am truly blessed to have been married to one-of-a-kind husband who appreciates what I do, encourages me to excel in my craft. Let me tell you this: I take my marriage very seriously. If you treat your marriage with levity and careless abandon, you will reap the reward for such bad behavior. My husband is an angel, brought by God to my life, and it has been a blessing having him as my husband.”

Has she received material things from men who ran after her?

“Sure, I have received lots of goodies from my male admirers. I do not give anything in return. I always tell them that I am married and would not compromise my martial vows. If after making that point clear, they still continue to shower me with gifts, maybe believing that something will break in the future, then I cannot help them.”

Ever met men that she genuinely took a liking to, and was tempted to sacrifice her marital vows?

“Absolutely. I have been tempted many times to cheat on my husband by men I really liked. But when you think of what you stand to lose, the destruction of all you have labored to build, when you weigh all the options, you are left to conclude that it is not worth the trouble. I know some women will find this somewhat objectionable, but if they want to be truthful to themselves, they will agree with me that, as married women, we have all faced moments that I have just described.”

Has her passion for your husband cooled with time?

“Of course, it has. Which married woman who has been with her husband for years will, in her true state, tell you that the feeling has remained the same as it was the first time or the first year she met her husband? It is bound to cool off. What I recommend to women is what I call “temporary separation.”

You will make yourself unavailable to your husband. Go somewhere – go on vacation with your friends, do something bold, lose weight, look different and, after weeks, come home, looking drop dead gorgeous, and I bet you, the fire of passion will be mightily rekindled and you will feel brand new again. I have applied this principle in my marriage and it has worked wonders.”

Thoughts on divorce

Women should learn to appreciate the fact that you can live without anyone, and the world would not come crashing on you if you did so. I think women should empower themselves while still remaining true to their marriage and husbands. If a marriage is stressful, emotionally destructive, I think we should be strong enough to walk away from such damaging unions.”

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