Marrying into hostile families not worth it – Omotola 

Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has offered guidance to couples experiencing resistance from a partner’s family.

Speaking on relationship dynamics during an interview on The Morayo Show, Omotola urged individuals to make sincere efforts to foster understanding and build trust with disapproving relatives through patience and consistent engagement.

“But through life, as an Omotola, I would advise that if the family of your spouse doesn’t like you, try everything you possibly can to make them understand you. However, there are some parents who are simply determined not to like you,” she said.

The actress added that early opposition often arises from preconceived notions, noting that some families form judgments based on ethnic background or other personal biases.

“There is nothing you’re going to do. They already have prejudices, you know, they’ve decided that maybe they don’t like you because you’re from a particular place in Nigeria or the world, or they already have their own opinions”, she added.

While couples should try to make families understand their perspective, she cautions that not all opposition can be overcome.

Marriage is a demanding institution, and Omotola stresses that entering a lifelong union without family support can be unnecessarily challenging.

“Some might change their mind, even that is dicey, because it means that they might change it again, But my advice is truly, it’s not worth it. Marriage in itself is already an institution where you’re going to face a lot. It’s a lifetime journey”, she continued.

She advised couples to think critically before committing to relationships where hostility persists, emphasising the importance of having support from the beginning, saying the journey can be very rough without it.

“So why do you want to start with people that already have some type of, you know, against you? You want to go in, in love, because every step of the way you’re going to need support. So if these people are not going to support you from the beginning, you’re going to have a very rough journey. If that’s the life you want, then good luck and go for it”, she concluded.