Nollywood actor Joseph Benjamin opens up on separation from wife

There have been rumours circulating about Nollywood star and TV Presenter, Joseph Benjamin 's relationship status.

On Tuesday November 20th 2012, the actor finally broke the ice on his relationship status in an interview with Reel Radio, an online radio station. He said he was previously married but was now separated from his wife.

Since the news went viral, there has been a slew of negative comments on various media outlets, condemning the actor for his separation. Joseph who is obviously very disturbed about this, opens up on the circumstances surrounding his separation from his wife.

What Really Happened in his Marriage?
“I was married for 8 years. It was a rather odd situation at that time. She got pregnant and I didn’t want to have a child out of wedlock and so I married her so we could build a home together, even though we had given birth to the first child.

Things weren’t rosy then, but I believed it was the right thing to do for the sake of the child. I overlooked my own personal desires, I just wanted to do right. Our second child came and I stood by my family like I always have; but no one is perfect, we had our issues – the crisis persisted but we stayed because of the kids. But you never make that kind of decision because if the parents are not happy together then the children suffer.“ 

He also corrected a rumour which has been spreading saying she was older than him and took care of him financially. “I’ll also like to correct a misconception – she is not older than me, and she wasn’t taking care of my financial needs as people have insinuated. We were both starting off in life on the same grounds – no one was exploited.”

What Happens after the Separation? 
Despite the separation, Joseph says he is still committed to his kids and would continue to love and care for them. “I’ve been separated for a year now but we still keep a good relationship, and our separation was a mutual agreement. She is a good woman but I could not go on with the union anymore seeing the foundation it was built on was untrue.

I have two wonderful children – a ten year old daughter and a seven year old son. They are an integral part of my life; their mum and I have a very good arrangement on how to balance their lives and make sure that psychologically they are stable and unaffected by our separation.” 

The “Tango With Me” star, his children and their mother would like the public to respect their privacy in these trying times.