Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has opened up about the decision to give her ex-husband, Ademidun Ojo, a prominent role during their daughter Priscilla Ojo’s wedding, saying she refused to let their failed marriage affect their children’s lives.
Speaking during an appearance on The Morayo Show, the actress explained that setting aside her personal differences with her former husband was a deliberate choice aimed at ensuring her daughter enjoyed a peaceful and memorable wedding.
Iyabo revealed that she wanted to break what she described as a cycle of unhealthy family relationships, drawing from her own upbringing.
According to the actress, both her parents were separated, and she resolved that her children would not experience the same emotional burden.
“I don’t know, there’s something called ancestral curses. We Africans believe in it, and Christians also. I believe that if you don’t want something to continue, you have to be able to break it,” she said.
She added that she consciously decided not to allow the mistakes of previous generations to shape her children’s future.
“So I made up my mind that whatever situation had happened, because my dad and my mum were also not together, every mistake they had made that I have made, my children will not make it.
“So I had to put aside what I felt, my differences, and play my part. That’s why I said I have paid the price for her to succeed and for her to be happy in her marriage,” she explained.
Responding to questions about why her former husband played such a visible role during the wedding despite their separation, Iyabo stressed that their personal differences had nothing to do with their daughter.
“Her father is not dead. He’s alive. So why can’t he be there? He didn’t wrong her. Me and him fell out. It has nothing to do with her,” she said.
“I made the choice to marry him. So whatever is going on between me and him is between me and him. It shouldn’t extend to my children.”
The actress also addressed claims that she was an overly strict mother, admitting that although she was firm while raising her children, they eventually understood the reasons behind her parenting style.
Iyabo Ojo married Ademidun Ojo in 1999 when she was 21 years old. Their union produced two children—Festus Oladunjoye Ojo and Priscilla Ajoke Ojo—before the marriage ended in 2001.
She has previously stated that marrying at a young age and the challenges of early motherhood contributed to the breakdown of the marriage.
Priscilla Ojo married Tanzanian singer Juma Jux in a lavish series of wedding ceremonies held in both Nigeria and Tanzania in 2025, with the celebrations attracting celebrities and dignitaries from across Africa.
The couple later welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Rakeem Ayomide Mkambala, in Canada. Since becoming a mother, Priscilla has continued to share updates about her postpartum journey and family life on social media, earning admiration from fans.
Iyabo said her greatest priority has always been her children’s happiness, insisting that no unresolved issues with her former husband were worth overshadowing one of the most important moments in her daughter’s life.