Popular Nollywood actress and film producer Ruth Kadiri has opened up about the deeply personal reasons behind her decision to keep her marriage shielded from the public eye during its early stages. Speaking on a recent episode of the Dear Ife podcast, the movie star confessed that she struggled with a severe fear of marriage and uncertainty about the future of her relationship.
Battling the Fear of the Unknown
According to Kadiri, her reluctance to publicize her union stemmed from anxiety over whether the marriage would survive the pressures of public scrutiny. She admitted to experiencing a marriage phobia, wondering if making her relationship public would lead to its eventual collapse.
“I had a phobia of marriage. I was battling with the fear of the unknown and asking myself, ‘Am I going to make this decision and everything will now scatter?'” Kadiri shared during the podcast. This apprehension led her to seek a quiet, low-profile union, a decision her husband, Mr. Ezerika, fully supported.
An Intimate 50-Guest Wedding
To avoid unwanted drama and keep the focus on their commitment to each other, the couple opted for an incredibly intimate wedding ceremony in November 2018. Kadiri revealed that they invited only 50 guests in total split evenly between her husband’s side and her own.
“My husband and I invited only 50 people to our wedding. Twenty-five people were invited by him, while 25 others were invited by me,” she explained, adding that if they had been living abroad, they likely would have opted for a simple registry wedding.
A Growing Family
Despite her initial anxieties, Kadiri’s marriage has flourished in private. Since their secret nuptials in late 2018, the couple has welcomed two children. Their first daughter was born in August 2019, followed by their second daughter in July 2022.
By keeping her personal life separate from her thriving career in the Nigerian film industry, Kadiri has successfully managed to build a peaceful family life away from the spotlight.