For Funke Akindele, a kiss too brief

JULY 17, 2013 

The estranged couple

The reported separation of celebrated actress, Funke Akindele, and her husband, Kehinde Oloyede, lengthens  the list of celebrities with failed marriages, writes TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI

Some days after pictures that Funke Akindele took on location for a new film – in which she acts as a palmwine tapper – circulated on the social media, the story of her separation from her husband, Kehinde Oloyede, broke on Monday.

Although rumours that usually trail weddings of entertainment celebrities demand that one exercise caution while reacting to such information, the channel from which the divorce scare came made it look too real. Oloyede relayed it on his Facebook page.

He wrote, “It’s with heavy heart that am announcing the separation of me nd ma wife Mrs Olufunke Akindele, we’ve both agreed to go our separate ways coz of irreconcilable differences. we still best of friends nd we 4ever remain gud friends.”

While he later sounded diplomatic in the statement, another one he posted on the page was far from being cordial as he seemed to have regretted ever going into the union.

Akindele has not personally made any public statement on the development, but the fact that she has also ejected ‘Oloyede’ from her BB tag compounded the fear of many.

Based on this separation, she has found herself in the class of artistes that have experienced failed marriages. On the list are notable acts such as Ayo Adesanya, Kate Henshaw, Eucharia Anunobi, Fathia Balogun, Monalisa Chinda, Doris Simon and Shan George.

As expected, the news of the divorce is attracting a lot of attention. In online reactions, some followers of the entertainment industry have, however, expressed shock, with some arguing that actresses do not have enough understanding of what marriage entails.

Perhaps what made the matter attract much interest is the pomp built around the wedding when it held in Lagos last year.  Although a man said to be Akindele’s publicist has been quoted as having confirmed the separation, the actress herself has not spoken about it.

A search on her social media pages too did not record any comment from her concerning it.