Laide Bakare Reveals Why First Marriage Collapsed

Nollywood actress, Laide Bakare, has revealed that her financial independence contributed to the breakdown of her first marriage, claiming that her former husband felt uncomfortable with her success.

The actress made the revelation during an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, where she opened up about her past relationships and the circumstances surrounding the end of her first marriage.

Bakare recounted that her marriage ended after she returned from a trip to the United States, alleging that her husband was unhappy with the level of financial freedom she had attained.

According to her, her husband eventually asked her to leave their matrimonial home because he could not cope with her financial independence.

“I travelled to the US, and when I came back, he said, ‘Don’t bring that back to the house.’ My first husband was threatened by me being financially free,” she said.

Speaking about her second marriage, the actress also made claims about the relationship between her former husband and his current partner before their separation.

She alleged that the woman was dating her former husband while they were still married, adding that the woman would reportedly avoid her whenever she heard her name.

“When I used to be with him, the woman was just his girlfriend. A girlfriend that was hiding from me, and whenever she heard my name, she would run,” Bakare said.

The actress further disclosed that she had been involved in a decade-long custody dispute with her second former husband, Mutairu Orilowo, over their two sons.

She said that although she had custody of the children at a point, she was subsequently denied access to them.

New Telegraph recalls that in October 2026, Bakare appealed to members of the public for assistance, alleging that Orilowo had restricted her access to their sons and prevented them from spending sufficient time with her.

She also raised concerns about the alleged treatment of the children by her former husband’s wife.

The actress claimed that she overheard a conversation in which the woman allegedly instructed some boys not to beat her sons in places where visible injuries could be noticed, but to strangle them instead.

Bakare said she had evidence to support her allegations, adding that her attempts to draw her former husband’s attention to the matter had yielded no positive response because, according to her, he trusted his wife.

She further alleged that Orilowo had refused to permit the renewal of the children’s international passports, thereby preventing them from travelling to the United States or relocating to live with her.

The actress has three children: a daughter from her first marriage and two sons from her second marriage.