‘I Deeply Regret My Comment Towards May’

Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede, has tendered an apology to May Edochie, the estranged wife of her colleague, Yul Edochie, over her earlier support for the actor’s second marriage to Judy Austin.

Naija News reported that in an interview on ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast, Yvonne stated that Yul has done nothing wrong with his marriage to Judy.

According to the thespian, many netizens criticising Yul’s second marriage are from polygamous families.

Yvonne Jegede questioned why people were still insulting Yul over his choice of a second marriage while making Regina Daniel’s marriage a praying point and wished to get marital advice from her.

Following the backlash received from netizens, Yvonne, in a statement via her Instagram page on Wednesday, apologized to her fans and May Edochie, whom many people believed the comment would add to her distress.

The movie star acknowledged May’s pains and hardship occasioned by her estranged husband, saying she had no intention of causing any pain or disrespect to her.

Yvonne Jegede added that her words were not articulated in a way that conveyed her true intentions and had been misconstrued as insensitive.

In the statement titled “My Apology and Clarification on the Recent Podcast Interview”, Yvonne Jegede wrote,

“Lagos, Nigeria – June 11, 2024 – I, Yvonne Jegede, would like to address the concerns and backlash that have arisen from my recent interview on the HONEST BUNCH podcast, where I discussed themes related to my latest film on Amazon Prime, “A FATHER’S LOVE.”

“Upon reflecting on the interview, I realize that my words were not articulated in a way that conveyed my true intentions and have been misconstrued as insensitive, particularly towards Mrs. May Edochie, a woman who has endured significant pain and hardship occasioned by estranged marriage. I deeply regret that my comments were perceived as adding to her distress. It was never my intention to cause any pain or disrespect. I am truly sorry.

“My intention in the interview was to highlight the important societal issues depicted in my film, which tells the story of a man raising four children who are not biologically his own. I was excited to address this societal issue through my film. However, in the process of discussing these themes, my words were misinterpreted. I spoke about my own failed marriage and the struggles of single mothers, aiming to shed light on these challenges.

“I want to clarify that my remarks about polygamy were meant to reflect its cultural context and to emphasize that how it is practised is crucial. My goal was to convey that polygamy is part of our culture, but what matters is how it is approached. Unfortunately, this message was lost in my articulation.

“I want to stress that my comments were not intended to trivialize the pain of Mrs. May Edochie or any woman going through similar struggles. I do not claim to have advanced knowledge of the personal circumstances between Yul Edochie and his ex-wife. I aimed to communicate that we all make wrong decisions and sometimes, those decisions happen in marriages, and we should do something about them instead of enduring perpetual pain. In doing something about it, some people, separate, some divorce while some seek the help of professionals…

“I firmly believe that everyone deserves love, attention and care most especially women. I apologize if my statements did not effectively convey this sentiment. I am grateful for the opportunity to clarify my intentions and express my sincere apologies to anyone who was hurt by my words.

“Thank you for your understanding and support.”