Actress Irewole Olaniyan Addresses Marital Allegations

Nollywood actress Irewole Olaniyan has addressed allegations that she was involved with a married man, following a social media post by a netizen, Mary Edris, who identified herself as the man's wife.

Mary had accused the actress of having an affair with her husband and claimed she had previously reached out to Irewole privately to confront her about the relationship.

According to Mary, the actress initially denied knowing that the man was married, reportedly said he was not her type, and claimed she had blocked him. She, however, alleged that the relationship continued despite those claims, adding that her husband financially supported Irewole's movie projects, funded her trips, bought her expensive bags, and sponsored her lifestyle.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Irewole Olaniyan responded to the allegations, stating that she is not with the man and has not been with him since she found out he was married. She explained that they had a few dates, and one of the restaurants they visited posted a video of them, which she had no issue with because she was not hiding anything and did not know he was married at the time.

She noted that Maryam likely found out about the restaurant date a year later and reached out to her, but by then she had already left the man. She said she told Maryam that her husband was not her type and apologised, an apology Maryam accepted, even though she never agreed that Irewole did not date the man.

Irewole also claimed that the man would not stop reaching out to her, and she believed Maryam found out and decided to make it public. She stated that Maryam had been sending her messages, threatening to tarnish her image because she has a public profile, and misinterpreting her lifestyle and outings with her actual partner.

She admitted that she had responded to Maryam on some occasions because she is only human, including after the post was made on Friday. She insisted that she does not want Maryam's husband and does not need him, adding that she only responded because she felt Maryam was targeting her for clout.

"Good evening, everyone. First, I'd like to thank family, friends, and fans who have been in my corner for over 24 hours since this debacle started on social media. I'm aware that a post has been circulating on blogs since Friday about me dating a married man. I'd like to address this issue ONCE: I am not with this man, and I haven't been with him since I found out he was married."

"We had a few dates, and one of the restaurants made and posted a video of us from one of those dates; I had no issue because I wasn't hiding and didn't know he was married then. I believe Maryam found out about this restaurant date a year later, and I'm glad she did, because I had left her husband even before she reached out to me, and I let her know that when she did. I told her her man isn't my type and apologised, and she accepted the apology, even though she never agreed that I didn't officially date the said man; that was the end of it."

"However, the said man wouldn't stop reaching out to me. And in his continued attempts to reach out to me, I believe Maryam found out and decided to put her message out to the world. Maryam would be in my DM saying all sorts of things, threatening me and saying she'd tarnish my image because I have a public image. She'd always allude to my lifestyle and eating in restaurants with my actual MAN as being with married men. On some days, I've been forced to respond to her because I'm only human."

"One of those times was my response to her yesterday, when she made the post. There's no hard work I'm showing her because I don't want her husband, and I don't need him. I only responded because I felt she was doing this for clout and targeting me. She's always said she'd tarnish my image, and she's tried to get what she wanted. I genuinely didn't know he was married, and I'd never even gone on a date with him if I knew."