Culled from City People Magazine
For many years, the rumour made the rounds that the marriage of star actress, Shade Omoniyi, popularly called ‘Lepa shandy’ had packed up. Each time the ugly story reared its head, this pretty actress usually kept mute, choosing to ignore the controversies.
It wasn’t until late 2010 when City People broke the story that her (nearly) 10year marriage may have crashed due to irreconcilable differences. Apparently, there were many odds against the marriage – First was the fact that both of them lived apart: she was living here in Nigeria all alone, while her husband was in London.
Secondly, they were unable to conceive and have children. Try as she did to make the marriage work, her ex-husband simply moved on.
Thankfully, things are looking up for Lepa Shandy as the big news hit that the sexy Yoruba actress has put all of that behind her, remarried and has been blessed with a bouncing baby boy!
Relocating to Dublin to live with her husband, she has also revived her movie career – taking part in a few movies and most recently, shooting a docu-drama on Apapa Local Government and its Chairman.
She is hoping to premiere her movie, ‘Eri Ife’ in Ireland, UK, U.S.A and Canada.
The following are excerpts from the interview done with her:
More after the cut
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO IN THE LAST ONE AND A HALF YEARS? YOU’VE KEPT A LOW PROFILE AND THE STORY IN TOWN IS THAT YOU NOW LIVE IN DUBLIN. IS THIS TRUE?
(smiles). It has been wonderful and I thank God for everything. I left the shores of Nigeria in February 2011 for Ireland, Dublin, to start a new life, as they often say, with the new man in my life I thank God I am a happier woman now. He is a very very wonderful man. I actually spent exactly one year. By the time I came back I realized that things had changed back here in Nigeria. The Yoruba movie industry had changed. My life had changed too. Even all my friends had changed, everyone looking different, I thank God for everything.
AT THE TIME YOU LEFT WAS ABOUT THE TIME YOUR MUM DIED. WHY DIDN’T YOU COME FOR THE BURIAL?
Yes, you are right. I left in February; I lost my mum in March, a week before my 40th birthday.
HOW DID YOU TAKE ALL THAT WHEN IT HAPPENED?
Ahh! It wasn’t easy. I spoke with her some 2 or 3 days before then, and seriously she was not sounding very well. I was abroad then with my husband. My husband also talked to her. She told him she has been sick. She was admitted and she has been discharged. He now said ‘Mama, you are not sounding well, how come they discharged you?’ She said it must be typhoid and they feel she can treat it at home. He now begged her mum please go back to the hospital. She now started praying for both of us. That was what baffled me. She was just praying on the phone for close to 30 minutes on the phone. For him and me. I now said mummy, I will call you tomorrow. The following day, I couldn’t call her.
So, a day after, I was chatting with my kid brother, on Facebook, at a point he was not responding. My husband had left for work a few hours before. He was on night duty. It was about 7.30pm to 8pm. At about 11pm my husband called me and asked who is Tope? I said that is my sister in Manchester. He said ok my dear I am coming home now. I said what happened?
He now said don’t go near the computer. I am coming home. I said why? He said don’t just go there. I told him, I am in bed already sleeping. He said ok. Before 30minutes he arrived. But before he arrived I went to the computer and I saw Rest in Peace, I didn’t believe it. Apparently my sister has been calling me but I had switched off my phone, so she sent it to my Facebook. I broke down and started crying.
MANY PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED THAT YOU KEPT YOUR NEW MARRIAGE, PREGNANCY ALL UNDER WRAPS ALL THROUGH THAT PERIOD. HOW DID YOU DO IT? HOW EASY WAS IT TAKING THOSE DECISIONS?
After what happened in my past relationship, I just decided that there should be a way you would shield something from the press and the public. I am an outgoing person, yes; but there are times I like to be alone and I appreciate my home.
In my last marriage, I wanted to make it work. I know what happened, but it didn’t just work. It was because of my desire to make my new marriage work that I decided to relocate to Dublin, because if I am here whatever you do, they will know. I purposely told him that I don’t want to deliver my baby here.
So, I stayed back in Dublin, and even at that we lived in the outskirts of Dublin. I was just there, I hardly went out and if I must go out he takes me out himself to do what I want to do. And when I do go out, I will disguise myself.
I don’t use to dress up when I am abroad. Despite that, some people still spotted me and word got round that I am pregnant and I was in Dublin. I just love him. I love him. I love my husband. I thank God for my husband, God gave him to me. He dotes on me. He takes more than good care of me. But I am afraid to tell the whole world this.
I have learnt my lessons from my last marriage when I praised my ex-husband to high heavens because I believe if something is good, it is good, show it to the world. But I realize that in Africa you don’t do that because some people will get angry or envious. People don’t like it when things are going well for you. That is why I am keeping my new husband to myself.
FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS COMING OUT OF A BAD MARRIAGE AND WHO HAD SO MANY GUYS WANTING TO DATE YOU, HOW EASY WAS IT TO DECIDE ON YOUR NEW MAN?
My meeting him was divine. We didn’t just start dating. I had known him for a long time. We were friends. Even when my marriage had collapsed, I still didn’t want to tell people. I told no one. He continued to tease me that Shade do you know you are my wife? I will laugh it off. I used to yap him that how can that be? Can you marry a married woman? I kept telling him I was married. I was hoping I could patch up my former marriage. I was praying for things to change. But I think he sensed it that all was not well with my marriage. But I still continued to deny it despite the fact that my marriage was over.
He kept on saying something that you are my wife. I said ok. I will just laugh it off. And before I realized it we had become close and our friendship had grown really strong, I just realized that I was deceiving myself that I still had a marriage I was holding on to.
I started asking question; why not give this guy a chance? That was what I did and I have not regretted it. Despite the fact that I don’t want to talk about any new husband, let’s give it to him, he has tried for me. My new husband is one in a million.
He has gone through a lot to keep our marriage going. It is not easy marrying we showbiz people, celebrities who are always in the news, public figures. It is not esay dating a celebrity, not to talk of marrying the person. It takes a very serious, God-fearing, caring, understanding man to accept we actresses.
Believe me; my new husband has been very, very, very wonderful. Even while we were dating, many people kept advising him not to date me. At times, some people will call him and tell him so many things. He was in a relationship also.
He will tell those who talk to him that he is ok with me. And that it doesn’t matter if the person is an actor or a banker. Don’t single out people. People said different things to him but he stuck to his guns.
Today, we are happily married.
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