By Prosper Mene
Veteran actress Ngozi Nwosu has opened up about the harrowing domestic violence she endured in her marriage, urging women to prioritize their safety over societal pressures.
Speaking on the podcast Real Life Matters With Aunty Ayo, hosted by her colleague Ayo Adesanya, Nwosu declared that marriage should never be treated as a “do-or-die affair,” emphasizing that no one deserves to live in fear.
The 62-year-old star, best known for her iconic role as “Peace” in the long-running sitcom Fuji House of Commotion, shared details of the physical abuse she suffered, including brutal beatings even during her pregnancy. “I don’t believe marriage is a do-or-die affair,” Nwosu stated firmly, her voice steady despite the pain etched in her words.
“When the domestic violence is too much, you’ve got to move. It’s your life we’re talking about, not that person’s life.”
Nwosu’s story began with a near-escape, Just a day before her wedding, she walked away from the ceremony after an explosive incident of violence from her then-fiancé. “I saw the domestic violence coming from his side, and I refused to sign the registrar,” she recounted, describing how her partner dragged her by the hair, leaving her bleeding and ready to fight back with lethal force.
Despite her resolve, family pressure, particularly from her elder sister, convinced her to proceed, with assurances that things would improve. “She begged me not to discontinue the marriage plans,” Nwosu revealed, a decision she now regrets.
The abuse persisted into the marriage, escalating to the point where Nwosu endured punches while pregnant. “He beat me even in pregnancy,” she said, her tone laced with disbelief at her own endurance.
For years, she suffered in silence, shielding her ordeal from the public eye. “Even when the press came after me, I told them I didn’t want to wash my dirty linen in public. It was well while it lasted, but I don’t want to talk about it,” she admitted.
Her late husband’s violence became a pattern she couldn’t ignore, culminating in a moment of clarity: “Once beaten, always beaten. If you take it once, you just be ready to take it for the rest of your life.”
Nwosu’s testimony comes amid a growing national conversation on gender-based violence in Nigeria, where reports indicate that one in three women experiences some form of intimate partner abuse.
By sharing her story now, Nwosu hopes to empower others. “People go on social media to say, ‘He slapped me, he did this.’ But when you experience real beating, proper pummeling, you won’t remember social media. You’ll only be struggling for your life,” she warned, dismantling the myth that minor incidents are isolated.
The podcast episode, released late last month, has garnered widespread praise from fans and industry peers for its unfiltered honesty. “Ngozi’s courage could save lives,” one viewer commented online, while another hailed her as a “beacon for abused women everywhere.”
Nwosu, who has starred in over 100 films and remains a Nollywood stalwart, has long been admired for her resilience, qualities she now channels into advocacy.
Nwosu’s message is clear: Apologies from abusers are traps, and second chances often lead to more pain. “Don’t fall for any man who beats you and begs you later,” she advised. “Walk away before it’s too late.”
