By Premium Times
Fred and Agatha Amata’s daughter and her spouse
Actor and movie producer Fred Amata has criticised his ex-wife, Agatha Amata, famous for her talk show, ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, for giving their daughter’s hand in marriage without his consent.
Agatha, the CEO of RaveTV Lagos and Trend FM100.9, Asaba, divorced the famous actor in 2005. The divorce was reportedly amicable, and they have two children, Oreva and Stephanie. Three years after their divorce, her ex-husband welcomed a daughter, Zino, with actress and ex-beauty queen Ibinabo Fiberisima.
Amata, absent at their daughter’s wedding in the UK, ‘reunited’ with his ex-wife for their son Oreva’s traditional wedding in Lagos in June 2023. However, he was absent at the white wedding held in the United States in May of the same year.
Fred Amata and his ex-wife Agatha
Amata’s latest allegations have brought their past issues back into the spotlight.
Agatha announced on her Instagram page the marriage of her daughter, Stephanie and wished her a blissful union, sharing a video from the wedding ceremony. In the video, she could be seen walking her down the aisle, a tradition that fathers or males typically carry out.
Reacting to the marriage in a post on his social media accounts, the actor Fred Amata expressed his shock and disbelief at his ex-wife’s action, describing it as a grave injustice in their culture.
He said: “Abomination, embrace taboo, stare Africa in the eyes to manipulate my daughter and her husband, hoodwink the lovebirds, and walk my daughter down the aisle to give Stephanie away to a husband. I can’t keep quiet anymore. It’s time to speak up. This is an abomination. This is taboo. Nowhere in the world, nowhere in Africa, nowhere in Delta State, and the lands where we come from can a woman give away her child in marriage, especially when the father is alive.
“Especially when the father is willing and able. Worse still, when the father is in the same city. What malice would drive a woman, in an attempt to rubbish her ex-husband, to lead his daughter to marriage? What manipulation would warrant concealing the date and time from a father who has already given his blessing? Even if the daughter forgets when the father and daughter are in the same city of London, is it not the place of ‘The Good Wife’?”
The 61-year-old questioned his ex-wife’s audacity to give their daughter’s hand in marriage without his knowledge.
Amata, who rose to fame in 1986 for his role in Legacy, sought advice from Nigerians and well-wishers on what to do next.
Ibinabo, Fred Amata and their daughter, Zino
He stated that a good wife would never do such a thing simply to make a man look bad.
The actor also alleged that his ex-wife had tarnished his reputation, belittled his achievements, and exploited his name for her selfish gain since their divorce.
He said he had remained silent and refrained from commenting on their failed marriage, hoping that the wounds would heal and reconciliation might be possible.
He said, “It was over 25 years ago that I came up with the unique idea of ‘Inside-Out with Agatha’, a talk show with six informed and opposing points of view represented by a person with oratorial skills, now male, now female. We had seen a talk show by Regina Askia, and Agatha wanted to be a host. I told her not to worry: ‘I will come up with something; it will make you like Oprah Winfrey,’ and I did it ingeniously.
“I was the dedicated creator, throwing in flesh, blood, and sweat to create and deliver a concept that had never before been done in Nigeria, save for a similar, perhaps less engaging, six episodes of a programme called MEE to You, or something like that, by the late May Ellen Ezekiel, who was married to RMD. A programme that could stand the test of time and put bread on the table of the young marriage—a programme so versatile it is still relevant today.”
Inside Out with Agatha my idea – Fred Amata
Amata further revealed that his ex-wife had leveraged his programme, ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, which has been recognised as Nigeria’s longest-running television talk show, airing for over twenty years, against him.
He added that he sacrificed his initial bid for the presidency of the Directors Guild of Nigeria in favour of ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, which ultimately became a runaway hit.
However, he said he did not realise the programme’s success would threaten his marriage.
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