How I’ve Stayed Married For 33 Years – Toyin Adewale

Veteran Nollywood actress Toyin Adewale has opened up about the secret behind her 33-year marriage. She recently had her say while speaking on Biola Bayo’s podcast, and fans have been reacting.

Stressing that marriage is not a do-or-die affair, Toyin stated that she has only been able to stay in her relationship because it has been free from any kind of abuse.

The moviestar added that she settled down, determined to never quit her marriage, no matter what.

Her words, “Marriage isn’t a do-or-die thing for me. I wouldn’t stay if he beats me. If there’s no violence and it’s just a minor misunderstanding, it’s normal. Why do I leave? Do I know what will happen where I am going? I got married with the determination of never leaving my marriage, provided there’s no violence.

I got married in January 1993 and had Mayowa in March 1993. I have been married for 33 years. I am the gentle one.

I just found myself in acting, and I enjoy doing it. I started acting in 1988. They paid me 5000 naira, I can’t forget. They gave us clothes, and we performed before the president. It was my first job that brought me to the limelight.

My father had four wives, and each wife had one child. I am the lastborn. He was a disciplinarian, so he fixed a lot for us. He bought his grave cloth, did his grave and all. He paid all the necessary dues to the churches and all and told them to sign so they wouldn’t stress us when he died.”

WOW.

Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.

The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.

Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.

Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.