Nollywood actress Uche Ogbodo’s estranged husband, singer Bobby Maris, has broken his silence following the couple’s public split, explaining that he has chosen to stay largely quiet about the marriage out of consideration for their children.

His response came hours after Ogbodo issued her own statement asking the public to respect her privacy as she focuses on healing and raising her kids.

The marriage first showed signs of trouble weeks ago when eagle eyed fans noticed that Ogbodo and Maris had unfollowed each other on Instagram, a development that quickly fuelled speculation given how openly affectionate the couple had previously been online.

The rumours intensified after both the actress and her younger sister began posting cryptic messages, with Maris also appearing to take subtle swipes at his wife through his own social media stories. Ogbodo eventually confirmed the breakdown of the marriage in a series of Instagram posts, questioning why a woman choosing to end a marriage should be treated as a taboo and describing herself as exhausted after eight years with her husband.

In the days that followed, further details emerged, including a leaked audio recording in which Ogbodo appeared to question claims by Maris about unpaid work, as well as comments from her sister criticising him for allegedly contributing little to the household. Amid the growing public scrutiny, Ogbodo later issued a more measured statement making clear that she did not intend to keep discussing the details of her marriage online, stressing that her priority going forward was her children and her own healing rather than feeding public speculation.

Responding to that statement, Maris indicated that he too would rather not air the details of what led to the split, framing his restraint as a decision made for the sake of the children they share rather than any admission about who was at fault.

His remarks mark one of his more direct public comments since the separation became public knowledge, though he has largely avoided detailing what caused the marriage to collapse. Neither party has offered a full account of the circumstances behind the breakup, and both appear to be signalling an intent to move forward away from the public back and forth that has played out over recent weeks.

The pair married in January 2023 in a ceremony held in the actress’s home state of Imo, and share two children together. Ogbodo, a veteran of the Nigerian film industry with a career stretching back to 2006, has continued to draw public attention since the split, recently revealing that she has been inundated with messages from admirers, a wave of interest she says she is not yet ready to entertain as she processes the end of her marriage.

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