The award-winning British-Nigerian radio host Simi Drey has talked candidly about her previous marriage and relationship, which ended in divorce.
Simi claimed on a recent episode of the “WithChude” podcast that despite her parents’ cautions about the relationship, her friends continued to pressure her to get married.
The radio host from London claimed that she became aware that she wasn’t completely content and joyful after becoming engaged.
Simi claimed that although her ex-fiance was not violent or disloyal, she still desired a marriage based on mutual respect and love.
The actress, 26, said that months after becoming engaged, she told him she had doubts and suggested that they improve their relationship before thinking about getting married.
Simi claimed that she came to the realisation that she didn’t want to wed him a month later.
The media personality said she ended the relationship and faced criticism from her friends.
“My ex and I did not have a perfect relationship. He never cheated. He was never abusive. But you know when you are not 100% fulfilled or happy. We do live in a part of the world where marriage is heavily emphasised especially for women. My parents never put pressure on me, but I remember my friends asking me ‘when will you get married?’” she said.
“Eventually he proposed. I remember having this apprehension that is he really the person I am going to marry? I was very close to my mum. When I called her that I was engaged she said ‘Simi do not do this’. But I told her ‘no, everything is fine’.
“My mother is not that kind of person who would ever stop me from doing something or blacklisting me. But she knew that I was not feeling whole in the relationship. I called my dad I ended the call in tears. These were not tears of joy but of apprehension.
“Two months later, I called my fiance then that we should work on our relationship first and then maybe we can think about marriage. A month later, I did not feel I wanted to marry this man.
“I wanted to marry with worth. I ended the engagement with him. And I got another criticism from people around me. I had to be truthful to myself that I was not happy in the relationship.
“It was after I left that the reality hit me. I realised to be single and happy is better than be married and miserable.
…If I do not feel respected or feel a man is superior to me because of title or his finances, it is a no.”
