Veteran actor and broadcaster Patrick Doyle has reacted to a post by filmmaker Fred Amata in which the latter spoke about his failed marriage to media proprietor Agatha Amata.
Writing in a Facebook post on Friday, Patrick said being humiliated by someone with whom one once shared intimacy hurts deeply.
He emphasised that in such situations, it is important not to respond immediately but to pause, reflect and consult one’s Maker. He advised against addressing these matters publicly.
Although he did not mention Fred Amata’s name, Patrick Doyle said the post was about a close friend struggling with the actions of his ex-wife, which he found humiliating. The friend had responded publicly, a reaction Doyle empathises with but does not endorse.
“Nothing tests a man’s essence more than when his ego and dignity are crushed by a humiliating gesture from someone he once shared intimacy with. At such times, it is best not to react in the moment but rather pause and consult your Maker. More importantly, never address such humiliations in public,” he wrote.
He continued by referencing a Yoruba adage which translates to, “The world should never see the perspiration of a husband on the chest of his wife,” emphasising that issues between a man and his wife, past or present, should remain private.
The actor explained that making the matter public only prolongs the pain and gives an audience for others to feast on his friend’s anguish. He urged his friend to surrender the pain to God for consolation and restoration.
Fred had earlier called out his ex-wife for allegedly handing their daughter Stephanie to the latter’s husband at a wedding ceremony held in London.
The actor, who had not spoken publicly about his failed marriage for over 20 years, expressed his displeasure, describing the act as a taboo and an abomination in their culture, particularly when the father is alive and willing to perform his traditional role.
He stated, “I can’t keep quiet any longer. This is an abomination. Nowhere in the world, nowhere in Africa, and nowhere in Delta State can a woman give away her child in marriage, especially when the father is alive, willing, and in the same city. What malice would drive a woman to lead her daughter to marriage in an attempt to humiliate her ex-husband?”
