HUSBAND of Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh, Dr. Olakunle Churchill, has dismissed allegations that he was violent towards his wife and was involved in a relationship with his ‘female’ PA, describing allegation as ‘blackmail’.
Churchill, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, disclosed this in a recent interview with Toast Magazine.
“It’s funny to me,” the chairman of Big Church Group which includes Big Church Foundation said, “because I don’t have female Personal Assistant, My PA is Mr Paul, who has been working with me over the years. Besides, it was a sponsored blackmail.”
He also declined to comment on whether his wife, Tonto, caused uproar at his mother’s home, pushing her to the floor and destroying everything in the house, saying: “These issues are private to me and my family.”
Responding to news about a separation between him and his wife which was purportedly leaked by his housemaid to an online media, Churchill said: “Every family has its ups and downs but I would not want to talk about my family.”
He also denied that his wife moved out with his son because he was violent.
“I wonder where they got such gist from?” he questioned.
“I don’t believe my wife will say that, besides I frown against such even my foundation preaches against domestic violence in some of our charity awareness campaigns. It is obvious that all these channeled attacks are targeted to drag my image and what I believe in to the mud. Well, the truth is that I have never raised my hands against my wife. I have evidence of CCTV Cameras in my mum’s house when this happened. It can be replayed if you what us to go that far.”
His union to Tonto produced a son who was one year old on Friday. And he seems to be indifferent about the tussle in his family.
“I see nothing in it,” he said.
“It’s a phase of life. Since, it does not affect my cheques and savings. But I truly want to call on bloggers or on social media addicts to verify facts before assuming. Every marriage has good and bad moments. It’s just unfortunate that I recently discovered that the alleged marriage instability is making headlines on some media platforms. Please Tonto Dikeh fans and well-wishers take it easy on her, guess she is still adjusting to motherhood. With time, it will be well.”
Recall that Tonto Dikeh revealed her frame of mind over their purported failed marriage, refusing for her spirit to be dampened.
The actress who recently garnered 1.5 million followers on Instagram, said: “There seems to be several rumours floating around media recently. However, let the record show, there hasn’t been any deals made in regards to a fight between myself and any other fighters. I am happily retired and enjoying life at this time. If any changes are to come; be sure that I will be the first to let the world know.”
News of Tonto’s marriage break-up started early in the year, when reports filtered in that her husband of 17 months was reportedly having an affair with his personal assistant, Rosaline Meurer, which she debunked on a live interview on HipTV.
Hence, it was with some shock that the actress disclosed that her marriage was broken on Instagram.
“When a woman leaves her husband, she takes her child because absolutely nothing else matters to her but the child,” she wrote.
“This is what I did and I happily give all access for his father to see him. What goes on in my marriage and home is my personal life, I’m grateful for all the years of support you all have been giving me but when it comes to the matter of the heart have enough respect to let us go through our moments alone.”
Already, the actress seems to have deleted all pictures showing her and her husband as a couple from her Instagram page. Their child, Andre Omodayo Churchill, was born in February 2016.
