At 50, I can date 40-year-old man –Chigul

By Rita Okoye

Nigerian multitalented comedian, Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as Chigul, has opened up about the emotional trauma she experienced following the collapse of her marriage. She revealed that the ordeal left her feeling ashamed, broken, and questioning her relationship with God.

Speaking on the Transparent Show, the entertainer reflected on the circumstances that surrounded her failed marriage.

“I tried to make sure my marriage worked, but it’s not one person’s job to do. Both partners needed to invest in the union for it to work. We entered the marriage with personal emotional wounds that ultimately made it difficult to sustain the relationship. We were both broken, and it wasn’t fixable. Pieces can’t fix pieces. We didn’t realise it until now,” she said.

Reflecting on the difficult period surrounding her separation from the husband and eventual divorce, Chigul said she had become a people-pleaser who often compromised herself in an attempt to meet other people’s expectations.

“Looking back, that version of myself was very much a people-pleaser and compromising. I tried to overdo myself to please everyone else’s standards. I tried to hold on all by myself, but one person can’t build a home,” she said.

The comedian said the failure of her marriage also affected her self-esteem, as she initially viewed the divorce as a personal failure.

“When the marriage was about crashing, I felt ashamed. I thought I had failed. I called myself a failure; that was why I could not bring myself to get into another relationship, even if it were just casual. Even after I got separated, I still told people I was married. The divorce took us six years to finalise.

At that point, I hated myself. I didn’t know the God I serve well then; I concluded that because God hates divorce, he probably hates me too. I thought I was going to hell for having a failed marriage,” she said.

Now comfortable with her single status, Chigul said she has spent considerable time rebuilding her sense of self-worth and becoming more self-aware.

On her current approach to relationships, the 50-year-old entertainer said she is not interested in dating significantly younger men despite receiving attention from younger admirers.

“A lot of younger guys are approaching me, but no, I want someone older. I want a papa. I have tried to date someone who is 14 years younger; we were already liking each other. I thought he was mature until he started acting his age. I would only date a 40-year-old man if his family also gives consent. Then again, he should know that I am not ready to have children; I am 50. If you are 40 and foreign, we could give it a trial,” she noted.