Social media titan Babalola Osogbiye dug out the
dead bones in an interview with wife of the
latest Marriage counselor “Charly Boy”. An
enlightening interview that reveals the ups and
the downs of the marriage life of the couple and
how they have been able to pull through 38 years
without being a subject of media. Words are not
enough to give details of the interview, read
more after the cut...
She is married to one of Nigerians most
controversial iconic personalities. The "weird"
one Charly Boy has fought for the rights of the
average Nigerian. He has on several occasions
been tortured by the Nigerian police and the
military for standing up to bad leadership or
unfair treatment of the impoverished masses.
His television series, The Charly Boy Show was
one of the most watched programmes for a very
long time. He’s an accomplished singer/
songwriter, television presenter, publisher,
producer and talent judge.
The American trained mass communication
masters degree holder, who decided in his own
words, to punish his parents by creating the
larger than life image. A punk, a boy, an
AreaFada, and lately a Jesus lover. He has been
married three times before, his present
marriage is the 4th and maybe the last, kissed
Denrele Edun, has a pet python was
photographed naked. That pretty much sums it
up, from a shallow point of view. One person
who knows this enigma would be his wife of
38yrs the best person to give intimate account.
Lady Diane Oputa.
38yrs SEEMS LIKE FOREVER IN COMPARISON TO
THE LIFE SPAN OF THE AVERAGE CELEBRITY
MARRIAGE. HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED ?
I have been able to manage very well because of
the man I got married to. Charles is a strong
family man, a decent gentleman who puts his
family first before anything else. He has been a
wonderful husband, a good father and a
wonderful son to his parents. Charles is the
husband every woman dreams about. He is
sensitive, he listens, the first to apologize if he
is wrong. I love his never say die spirit. I think
we were ordained by God to marry each other
because we both want the same thing, we are
both committed to our marriage. Like they say,
it takes two to tango. However our marriage
has not been a bed of roses, we have our issues
and challenges, but because we are best of
friends, because we are loyal to our commitment
we always resolve whatever issue that comes
up, to move forward. We don't have a perfect
marriage, no such thing in this world, but we
have a friendship that has endured through
time. It has been a long journey and we have
had ups and downs within the 38years that we
have been together. But we are happy together.
A lot of couples haven't got that far-we are
really privileged. I thank God.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARD PART OF YOUR
UNION? , THE THINGS THAT MADE YOU MAD.
In the beginning it was the women, my gosh!
Women everywhere. Charles is a charmer. He had
7kids from his away matches and the women he
married that didn't work out, before we got
married. His stubbornness was sometimes
obnoxious. During his hay days as a performer,
his acts were sometimes so overboard that I will
refuse doing his background vocals and we
always argued/quarreled about that. But as the
years rolled by I found ways of calming him
down, and curing my high blood pressure. I later
found out that the women were more for his
hypes and pons, like the charly’s virgins. One
thing I knew from the beginning was that my
husband always wanted to be a family man,
after all he grew up seeing both parents
together for sixty something years before papa
passed on. Much later the women thing totally
fizzled out. In the beginning I wasn't too sure
how to deal with all his children from deferent
women, but trust charles he knows how to put
his family together. That's how I overnight
became a mother of 9 children plus my last
three. The only thing that he still does that
pisses me off till tomorrow is his silence, when
he is angry about something. He will lock himself
in his room and may not talk to me for days. I
can't deal with that because we talk all the time
our communication is on point. He always says
he doesn't want to say the wrong things when
he is angry. Otherwise, Charles is the best thing
to happen to me and I thank God for that.
WHY DO YOU THINK CELEBRITIES MARRIAGES
HAVE SHORT LIFE SPAN?
Celebs marriages are not different from any
other marriage, however, the bottom-line is
that both parties have to know what they want
from the start. For most young people it's
about the packaging and never the content.
Marriage is about two people who want to stay
married no matter the weather, if one person
wants it more than the other it won't work. The
ingredients for a fairly decent marriage, will be
mutual respect, good communication between
the couples and good friendship. Thank God that
today what we have most, is old fashion
friendship. My husband is not your typical
Nigerian person, above all he listens and he is
very sensitive to how I am feeling as my friend
and it's all mutual.
HAS YOUR TRUST FOR HIM EVER WOBBLED?
Yes, in the beginning the first maybe 8yrs, too
many drama that I was dealing with. It wasn't
easy at all but I also matured along the way. I
began to see things for what they really are not
for what it looked like. Experience has thought
me how to separate the boy Charly from my man
Charles. Charly is an incorrigible botton pusher
and that will never stop, but my man Charles is
also an incorrigible introvert and that's who I
married. A few times he has reported himself to
me and he is not good at lying. BEING FULFILLED
IN MARRIAGE IS GUARANTEED WHEN YOUR
SPOUSE IS SUPPORTIVE, UNDERSTANDING AND
SENSITIVE TO YOUR FEELINGS AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WHEN HE IS ALWAYS LOOKING
FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP THE FIRE
BURNING.
YOUR HUSBAND IS NOW A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR
OF SORT, HOW DOES HE COPE GIVING UP HIS
PERSONAL NUMBER TO FANS WHO HAVE
MARRIAGE PROBLEMS?
Yea, that's Charlyboy for you, who else would
give their personal number on air. Do you know
how many calls he receives per minute? He
however has been doing all of that for a very
long time, it's only recently he went ballistic
with that. I guess for him, he wants to always
feel useful, always wanting to teach, to share,
to give hope to the hopeless, that's charlyboys
story, aside the fact that he likes to confuse
people with his antics. Am I surprised? no. I
won't be surprised if tomorrow he opens a
church. Charles has always been spiritual ever
since I met him, very deep. That's why for
people who meet him one on one, they are so
charmed because he is nothing like charlyboy
puts out. And it takes intelligence and discipline
to know the boundaries. He has counselled and
inspired millions of nigerian youths, to be
themselves, be focused and never to let anyone
kill their dream. I love him for the many lives he
has touched and still touching, for all who
worked with him, they too can testify he added
value to their lives. That's who he is.
IT’S ALMOST GOING TO 4DECADES OF MARRIAGE
WHAT KEEPS THE FIRE BURNING?
Hummm!!!! Charly can be un unrepentant
romantic when he wants to be. Though he hasn't
pulled any stunt to sweep me off my feet
recently, but he can be full of surprises. The
last time, he asked me to escort him to the
airport to receive a certain business partner
from the carribean. Before I knew what was
happening, I was on my way to the Bahamas,
sweden and Dubai, with nothing but my purse.
He knows I love romance and from time to time
he figures ways to sweep me off my feet. That's
why we try to keep it as youthful and as fresh
as we can. We really work at it. It's not easy
but we are determined. Charles woos me with his
outlandish and elaborate stunts, and I like it. I
always look forward to my birthdays. We are like
two buddies.
@
Charles has always been spiritual, has always
given himself to service. He has always been an
inspiration to millions of frustrated nigerian
youths. His life style has made thousands chase
their own dreams and never gave up on
theirselves. Yes, people where not too sure what
to make of him, because he kept confusing
people who couldn't see the humour or the sense
in how he was putting out. He has always been
about how he can add value to his environment
and the people he meets. He may not have been
a regular church goer but was a Christian by his
actions. I guess the difference now is that the
press seems to be reporting more of his works
and the value he promotes than all the stunts he
pulls to keep the people guessing. But yes he is
more calmer now, more at peace now and more
spiritual. Like they say, there is a time and
season for everything. He is been there done
that and seen that, what else can be new for
him so I guess is Jesus time from here on and
that's all the better for him. He is doing what
God wants him to do.
