Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo has shared a deeply personal account of her marriage, illuminating her journey through love, loss, and family life.

In revelations shared via a verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Igbo History and Fact, the celebrated actress disclosed that she was married at the age of 19 through an arrangement made by her parents.

She explained that the marriage was not her personal choice and that, at the time, she felt afraid and uncertain about how to love a man she did not choose herself.

"Marriage found me at just 19. It wasn’t my choice; my parents arranged it. At first, I was scared. I didn’t know how to love a man I didn’t choose,” Ozokwo was quoted as saying.

Despite her initial fears, the actress revealed that love eventually blossomed between them, and the couple spent 23 years together as husband and wife. She further shared that her husband battled illness for 15 years before passing away in 2000, marking a painful chapter in her life.

Patience Ozokwo noted that the marriage produced three biological children, and she later adopted five more, although one of the adopted children sadly passed away. She expressed that she is now a mother of seven children.

Following her husband's death, the actress revealed that she never remarried, choosing instead to dedicate her life to raising her children and building a solid family foundation.

Reflecting on her values, Ozokwo mentioned that she raised her children with strong principles, emphasising responsibility, respect, and commitment.

She has consistently advised her children against divorce, stressing the significance of endurance and mutual respect in marriage. 

"I have told my children never to think of divorce. I raised my daughters to be respectful and my sons to be responsible. That is how I built a strong home, through hardship, love, respect, and sacrifice,” she concluded.