Damilola Adegbite Opens Up on Remarriage Hesitation After Divorce
Nollywood actress Damilola Adegbite has publicly addressed the reasons behind her decision not to remarry following the end of her first marriage. In a candid video shared on her Instagram page, she highlighted how the experience of raising a child has fundamentally altered her perspective on relationships and partner selection.
Parenting Responsibilities Influence Relationship Choices
Adegbite explained that the question of remarriage arose during a conversation with a friend, prompting her to reflect on the unique challenges faced by single parents. She stated, "If you're a single mother or a single parent or you're having to raise a child on your own and you're looking to remarry, your decision-making has to be different from when you were single. You're not just choosing a partner for yourself anymore. You are choosing a second parent for your child."
She emphasized that many individuals prioritize emotional fulfillment in relationships without adequately considering the impact on their children. According to Adegbite, beyond love and companionship, it is crucial to evaluate the character and values of a potential partner. "And I feel like a lot of us could be focusing on how this person treats us, how this person makes us feel, how much they love us, how much they show up for us, but we also need to pay attention to how they show up for our children," she added.
Assessing Partner Suitability for Child's Future
The actress stressed that choosing a partner as a parent involves more than personal feelings; it requires thoughtful consideration of the child's future. She noted, "It's not that I haven't met some amazing men, but there's a deeper question beyond all that. And it is, do they have the morals, the values, the character that I would like my child to grow up around or to be influenced by?"
Adegbite advised that single parents must ensure any new partner is capable of being a good parent, someone who would treat the child as their own. "You have to be sure that the person you're bringing into your life and into your child's life or your children's life is capable of being a good parent. Someone who would treat your child like theirs, so much so that if a stranger walked into a room where the three of you or all of you were, they would never for once doubt that your children were your partner's biological children," she elaborated.
She cautioned against making hasty decisions driven by emotions, underscoring the importance of prioritizing the child's needs. "It's not a decision that you should make carelessly. You cannot be so caught up in your feelings that you do not think about your child's needs, because at the end of the day, you're not just building a relationship, you are building a home," Adegbite concluded.
Background on Adegbite's Marriage and Divorce
Damilola Adegbite was previously married to Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh, with whom she shares a son. The couple got engaged in 2014, welcomed their son that same year, and married on February 14, 2015, in a private ceremony in Accra, Ghana. Their marriage ended in 2017 after months of speculation, with Attoh confirming the split and describing Adegbite as "a wonderful woman and an amazing mother," pledging to co-parent with love and support.
In a 2021 interview, Adegbite reflected on the failed marriage, stating she had no regrets and learned that love alone is insufficient to sustain a relationship. "It didn't work. I learned a massive lesson from that experience and it is that love is not enough. When you meet somebody and you want to spend the rest of your life with them, love is just one of the qualities that you need, but it's not everything," she said.
She also challenged societal perceptions, noting, "a failed marriage is not the tragedy people make it out to be. Not every marriage is ordained by God." Adegbite added that she gave her best in the marriage and has since focused on raising her son, acknowledging the difficulties of parenting, such as balancing honesty with age-appropriate explanations for her child.
