The Oyebades
United Kingdom-based Nollywood couple, Theo and Ayo Oyebade, share their love story with Punch below:
How did you meet your wife?
Ayo: My wife will tell
the story like I actually stalked her. But that’s not the case. We were
in the same location on quite a few occasions. I bumped into her on the
way to Theatre Royal Stratford during the 2012 Olympics. I was at the
premiere of Shattered Hearts and even filmed her and the other
cast after the movie. However, I first approached her after a film
premiere and gave her my business card purely for business purposes.
Also, I chatted with her at an awards ceremony and she replied as if she
remembered who I was. I then bought tickets to a film that she featured
in and we spoke at length after the premiere. Afterwards, we exchanged
several text messages and I asked her out on a date.
How did the relationship develop?
Ayo: When we went on a
date, we had decided to have a meal at Tunde Siyanbola’s Faaji, but she
changed the plans by asking to see where I lived. I took her there and
she was okay about my humble living conditions. We went to eat and I
took her home. She once invited me for a home-cooked meal too. I also
took her out on her birthday. She had five different celebrations that
year and made me a part of them all. The relationship gathered momentum
when we worked together on her first film production, Shameful Deceit. I was the associate producer.
Before you got married, how long did you date for?
Ayo: We wanted to get
married to each other from the start since we just seemed to bond. Nine
months after we first met, we tied the knot.
How did he propose to you and how did you feel when he did?
Theo: It was a foregone
conclusion that we would get married. His proposal wasn’t anything
special; he simply opened a box with the engagement ring in it, took it
out and placed it on my finger. I was elated even though I’d known he
would be my husband by our third or fourth date.
Were there other ladies you dated before you proposed to her?
Ayo: I am an older man
and had been involved in a few long relationships. At the time we met, I
just came out of a year-long relationship.
What were the initial attractions?
Ayo: I was attracted by
her warmth. I watched as fans flocked around her and took pictures with
her. She smiled all the way and chatted to them. When I approached her,
I expected her to ignore me but instead she spoke to me and took my
business card. She is an attractive woman but I was mainly interested in
her proficiency.
Theo: His maturity attracted me and he looked like a man I could lean on; someone that would treat me right.
Were there oppositions from family members?
Ayo: Theo’s brother seemed to take to me. He apparently watched as I wolfed down ogbono and eba, noticed my gentle nature and gave his approval. There has been no outward objection to our relationship.
How did you adjust to life as a married woman?
Theo: It was natural
and I adjusted to married life like I’d been married for years. I really
didn’t need much adjustment, as I was always reserved and never entered
into relationships lightly.
Has marriage deprived you of your freedom?
Theo: No. I enjoy my
life even more now and have more freedom as Ayo takes me almost
everywhere. He relieves me of the stress of travelling. Ayo lets me do
what I love to do.
How would you describe your marriage?
Theo: Our marriage is good. We love spending time with each other and we are not bored. We work together and help each other out.
What would you like to change about each other?
Ayo: I wouldn’t change anything; the traits she shows now were already apparent during our courtship.
Do you have access to each other’s phones and social media accounts?
Ayo: Yes, we do.
Although we do have passwords, we generally leave our phones lying
around and our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts are always open.
Theo: I am constantly
borrowing Ayo’s phone and do pry once in a while. He doesn’t seem to
mind. My main phone is always locked but never hidden. He has complete
access to my social media accounts and I have access to his too.
As celebrities, how do you maintain your privacy?
Theo: We hardly have
visitors. When we want to be seen, we go out. Once we are home, we have
each other. We have moved outside the hustle and bustle of London to get
more peace of mind.
How do you spend time together?
Ayo: We spend 95 per
cent of our time together. We work together doing publicity, promotions,
assisting others on their films and attending numerous events.
Do you operate a joint bank account?
Ayo: We do not have a joint bank account yet, but it is something we plan to look into.
Do you get jealous of your wife’s male fans?
Ayo: Not really. I
guess I’ve been around the block and nothing fazes me. Her male admirers
are mostly respectful and never go overboard with their affection for
her.
How have you managed to stay together as a couple despite failure of some celebrity marriages?
Ayo: We have God as the
third member of our marriage. We pray and spend as much time together
as possible. We have our tiff sometimes, but nothing irreconcilable.
What causes quarrels between the two of you?
Theo: My rudeness. Ayo is quite a bit older than I am and objects to the way I talk sometimes.
How do you make up at those times?
Ayo: Theo rants
sometimes about things and then she is done with it. I usually like to
stress the point for longer but I also shrug and the quarrel is over. I
don’t think we keep things in between us; we air them and deal with
them. There is no special making up ritual.
Ayo: The air just clears really. I lose my rage with Ayo and that’s the end to it.
What pet names do you call each other?
Ayo: I call her Theo or Boss or Darlink.
Theo: He calls me Darlink. I call him Adufe, a pet name given to him by his grandmother.
What do you think causes some celebrity marriages to break up?
Ayo: Most celebrity
marriages crash due to lack of communication which draws them away from
one another for long periods of time. Of course, these separations
sometimes lead to affairs on locations, which invariably get leaked to
the press.
What would be your advice to celebrities who are married?
Theo: They should be
patient, never let anyone interfere and always pray. They should not go
to bed angry or without resolving a quarrel. They must always give each
other the benefit of doubt and only act if the evidence of wrongdoing is
glaring.