Actress Yvonne Jegede has issued a public apology to May Edochie, estranged wife of actor Yul Edochie, following her controversial statements made on The Honest Bunch podcast.
During the interview, Yvonne discussed her own failed marriage and voiced support for Yul. She claimed that most of those criticising Yul for taking a second wife come from polygamous families.
“You see this Yul Edochie, 99% of people abusing him are from second wives, third wives, fourth wives, and fifth wives. Sometimes, wives that the family doesn’t know about,” she remarked.
Yvonne also questioned why people condemn Yul but praise actress Regina Daniels who married a polygamist Ned Nwoko. “Why do people condemn Yul while they praise Regina Daniels?” she asked.
Her comments sparked backlash online, with many accusing her of insensitivity towards May. Critics said they would boycott Yvonne’s new movie, Father’s Love, and some even threatened to report her social media accounts, calling her unprintable names.
Yvonne, however, addressed the issue on her Instagram page on Wednesday, June 12, in a note dated June 11.
Titled “My Apology and Clarification on the Recent Podcast Interview,” the movie star expressed regret over her comments.
“I realised that my words were not articulated in a way that conveyed my true intentions and have been misconstrued as insensitive, particularly towards Mrs. May Edochie, a woman who has endured significant pain and hardship,” she wrote.
Yvonne emphasised that her intention was never to cause “pain or disrespect” and apologised explicitly to May. She explained that her goal was to discuss polygamy as part of cultural norms and to highlight societal issues depicted in her film.
She concluded by saying, “I aimed to communicate that we all make wrong decisions and sometimes, those decisions happen in marriages, and we should do something about them instead of enduring perpetual pain. Some separate, some divorce, while some seek the help of professionals.”
