Jaiye Kuti, an actress and filmmaker, recently made headlines when she declared that many married women, including herself, wished to end their marriages. According to her, she attempted to escape her marriage three times.
However, in an interview with Punch, she stated that the only way to handle challenges in marriage was through understanding and forgiveness. She said, “I actually wanted people to know that marriage is not a bed of roses. I want women to know that understanding has 150 per cent to do in the success of every marriage, because love is not enough. Yes, you need to love one another. But, there will be a time when you will look at each other, and wonder how you got married in the first place. That is the point where understanding comes in. Both spouses will have to understand that everybody is human, and are prone to mistakes. If the parties involved are not ready to forgive each other, they won’t be able to sustain the marriage.
“What if your husband cheats? Even men that don’t cheat could have other issues. I have been married for over 20 years. If I add the period of our courtship, that will be 25 years. My husband actually sponsored my education at the University of Lagos before we got married in 2000.”
The actress added that young ones should have it at the back of their minds that they would not get 100 per cent happiness, love or romance.
Reacting to women who claim that their marriages will not have challenges because of their religious beliefs, Kuti said, “There is nothing like Jesus will not let my marriage be like that. It (marriage) has been ordained to have those challenges, whether one likes it or not, and whether one is a Christian, Muslim or even atheists. Marriages usually have challenges, and one just has to take it that way.”