By Juliet Uduji
Veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo, who celebrated his 60th birthday during the week, has said that he has been able to navigate some issues in public life because he does not see himself as a celebrity.
Speaking during an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, RMD said,
“There was a time when I was in Delta State, I had a serious accident. My car flipped and I was in the hospital. It was the Governor that called my wife to come. Apparently, it had been reported that when I had the accident, there was a woman and a baby in the car. But there I was, I didn’t know what had been written. But, my wife had read it, so when she came (to the hospital), she wasn’t too sure.
“Later on, we were on holiday in America and she said, ‘Didn’t you know what they wrote’? She told me that when the accident happened, it was reported that I was carrying baby things and hiding them.
“There was also a story of me having another young wife in Lagos and that I would leave my wife soon. It is really difficult sometimes for her to navigate through all of this.
This is the age of social media. There are people who look at one without any regard for the sanctity of one’s marriage or one’s home. All they want to do is tear one down. They write things like, ‘He is in love with somebody else. He is going to leave his wife tomorrow’. How do you even wake up and do that? What have I done to you? Why do people like to see celebrity marriages crash? What has helped is that I never really see myself as a celebrity. My marriage is not a celebrity marriage.
There are times when I have been told, ‘We will pay to interview you and your wife’. I often tell them, ‘Sorry, she has more sense than me, she will not do this for all the money (in the world). I am sorry, if you cannot have me alone, then it’s fine. But be rest assured that she is good’.”