Nollywood screen goddess, Mercy Aigbe, recently revealed the challenges she had endured in her marriage to Lanre Gentry, has said that her coming out with the story of the domestic abuse was to enable them get help and that it is never ever intended to serve as an exit point from her marriage.
“It’s not like I want to walk away, but I just feel that we need help,” she had said in an interview with BroadwayTV obtained from instablog9ja.
Mercy had accused her husband of physical violence that has affected her sight and caused her to bleed internally from the alleged physical abuse on Sunday, April 16, 2017.
When she was asked why she came out to say her husband never touched her, she was quick to refute it. “I never for once came out to say that my husband did not beat me. The video people were referring to happened in 2013 when there were rumours of such and I did a video recording alongside my husband to debunk the claim. At that time I had to do it to protect his image and my marriage. I had to do a live video at that time”, she said.
Enjoy the interview
On the beating and why she stayed: He beats me consistently I stayed because I loved him and because everytime he beats me, he begs and gets family and friends to beg me. He promised regularly to change but he never did. When my husband gets angry, he gets physical, not only to me but to anyone. He has done that with my house help who reported him to the Police years ago. I stayed because of my children and because a lot of people look up to me. I was a role model of some sort and I really wanted to keep it together. I just wanted a home.
On why she wants to leave now: It’s not like I wanted to walk away but I just feel like we need help. I spoke to my husband’s brother about it. I told him I was going to pack out for some time while my husband seeks therapy. I just wanted to feel safe, that is why I moved my things out. This last beating was brutal. I actually thought I was going to die. I’m still coughing and sneezing blood even after three weeks.
On the day of the incident: Mercy had informed her husband that she was attending a burial of her colleague. After his hesitance, she explained that it would not be fair on the lady since she had promised to be there and even invited him to come along.
Mercy revealed that it was her refusal to go and pick her husband up while she was still at her designer’s place that brought the fury of the man on her. He was said to have driven there and started to beat her in the presence of everybody.
She said: Immediately, I opened the door, he kept beating me. I was begging him and asking why he was beating me. He said he would destroy my face such that no makeup would fix it and destroy my career. He was acting like someone who was possessed. I told him “Lanre, mo ma bi mo fun e” (translated as “I have a child for you).
On her husband being detained: My husband was in detention for over seven months and I never left him or go anywhere. Why would I want to go now? He says all this is make-up. He is not showing any form of remorse and still sponsoring lies against me.
