Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has sparked renewed conversations about financial responsibility in marriage after a resurfaced interview revealed her regrets about choosing love over financial stability when she married fellow actor Olakunle Fawole, popularly known as Abounce.
In the interview on The Honest Bunch podcast, which originally aired in June 2024, the actress explained how financial imbalance and changing attitudes towards communication contributed to the breakdown of their marriage.
Jegede disclosed that she earned more money than her former husband and shouldered a larger share of the family’s financial responsibilities, a situation she said became a source of tension in their relationship.
According to the actress, Fawole, who is eight years older than her, began interpreting her usual playful remarks as disrespectful after they got married, despite having accepted the same manner of communication during their years of friendship.
Recalling how their relationship changed, she said: “I was bringing in more of the money in the marriage and my ex-husband always felt disrespected. Although he is eight years older than me, the moment we got married, if I tell him, ‘You dey craze,’ he would say I’m disrespecting him. I would start wondering if it was the same person I got married to.”
She further expressed regret over her decision to prioritise romantic feelings over financial considerations when choosing a life partner.
“I am taking care of my son like nobody exists around me. It is not easy. I would have gone for money instead of love,” she said.
The actress, however, clarified during the interview that the difference in their financial contributions was not the only reason their marriage ended.
Jegede and Fawole, who had reportedly been friends for several years before becoming romantically involved, got married in a traditional ceremony in Lagos on February 4, 2017. They subsequently formalised their union through a court wedding.
The couple welcomed their son, Xavier, in November 2018. However, their marriage encountered difficulties before his birth.
In March 2019, Jegede publicly confirmed that they had separated, revealing that their marital problems began when she was about two to three months pregnant.
She explained at the time that their disagreements continued to worsen until they mutually agreed to go their separate ways.
Since the separation, the actress has spoken about the challenges of raising their son and managing the responsibilities of motherhood.
Her comments about choosing love over money have continued to generate mixed reactions, with some Nigerians arguing that financial stability and shared responsibility are important considerations when choosing a marriage partner.
Others have questioned whether a woman’s higher earnings should automatically become a source of conflict in a relationship, arguing that mutual respect and emotional maturity matter more than which partner earns more.
The discussion has also revived broader conversations about traditional expectations surrounding male financial responsibility and how couples navigate relationships when women become the primary breadwinners.
Interestingly, Fawole also spoke about his relationship with his former wife in a July 2026 interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo on the With Chude programme.
The actor disclosed that although he no longer loved Jegede romantically, he still cared deeply about her because she was the mother of his child.
He further stated that he would do everything possible to protect her if she ever found herself in danger, explaining that their shared responsibility as parents remained important to him despite the collapse of their marriage.
His comments offered another perspective on how the former couple have maintained a relationship after their separation.
Although their marriage ended several years ago, Jegede’s reflections and Fawole’s more recent comments have continued to attract public interest in their past relationship.
For the actress, her experience appears to have reinforced the importance of considering financial compatibility, shared responsibilities and mutual respect alongside romantic feelings when choosing a life partner.
