TIMELINE: Yvonne Jegede, Abounce’s love story before marriage crash

Since actress Yvonne Jegede and actor Olakunle ‘Abounce’ Fawole, one of Nollywood’s favourite couples, parted ways in 2019, Abounce has never granted an interview discussing their failed marriage.

In contrast, Yvonne has spoken in various interviews about what she believes were the circumstances that led to their divorce.

Most recently, her appearance on Nedu’s controversial ‘Honest Bunch’ podcast has opened old wounds and brought their failed union back into the spotlight.

Abounce and Yvonne married in February 2017, but the actress confirmed their marriage ended on 6 March 2019 in an interview with Pulse two years later.

In this article, PREMIUM TIMES charts the couple’s story from their meeting to their eventual parting.

2003-2016: Love story

Abounce and Yvonne reportedly began started dating in 2003.

Yvonne and Abounce had successful careers in the entertainment industry before their marriage. Abounce, an ex-musician turned actor, gained fame for his roles in Tade Ogidan’s Diamond Ring and Fuji House of Commotion.

Meanwhile, Yvonne rose to prominence after appearing in the ‘African Queen’ music video by 2Face Idibia alongside Annie Macaulay.

Since their acting debut, they have been featured in numerous films, and both featured in Tade Ogidan’s 2014 popular drama series ‘Behind the Siege’.

Actress Yvonne met Abounce, the son of the late veteran actress Bukky Ajayi, who was her role model during frequent visits to her home.

During her appearance on ‘Honest Bunch,’ Yvonne revealed that they (she and her ex-husband) were friends for 14 years before getting married.

She explained that throughout those 14 years, she would inform Abounce about men’s romantic advances toward her, and they would discuss it. According to her, this helped strengthen their friendship.

Reminiscing about their friendship, Yvonne said, “There’s no manual for marrying your friends. He has always been my closest friend. Most of my close friends said I got into the love boat when he wasn’t. We didn’t date. While Abounce and I were friends, I had wealthy suitors, but I wanted to marry someone I already knew, which was my mistake. I should have chosen love or money.”

2016: Engagement

The duo kept their relationship secret until August 2016, when Abounce proposed to Yvonne on her birthday, 25 August.

The couple spoke about their love during their media appearance on the Africa Magic ‘Jara Show’ 2019. Yvonne said she knew Abounce would be her husband five months before he proposed.

She said, “You know when you reach a certain point in your life and feel like you’ve been single for a while and understand what you want? Then he (Abounce) came along and wouldn’t let me focus on myself. When I realised he was both a distraction and had a special place in my heart, I decided to give in and respond to him.”

However, Abounce disclosed that he had known for years that Yvonne would be his wife because she was genuine, and they shared the same sense of humour.

According to him, there’s a special connection between them.

The ex-couple engaged in some couple-oriented mindset games during the show, ultimately arriving at a singular answer.

Abounce and Yvonne on thier court wedding day

2017: Marriage

Seven months after Abounce proposed to Yvonne, they had their traditional marriage on 4 February 2017 in Surulere, Lagos State, graced by prominent entertainment industry figures.

Following their traditional marriage, Yvonne described their union as beautiful in an Instagram post, expressing that she had never met anyone like Abounce.

In response to Yvonne’s post, Abounce gushed over her, saying: “You are beautiful, and I don’t just mean your body, sweetie. I mean your soul. I thought I lost everything when I lost my mummy, then I realised you came and saved me, and now I have everything. Bless your heart, love. Come quick.”

They legalised their marriage on 8 February 2017. They marked their first wedding anniversary on 4 February 2018, sharing heartfelt messages on social media.

“You have made my life so beautiful, and I can’t thank you enough. I’m glad I’m yours forever. If I had to choose again, it would be you. Another reason to be thankful. My world, my life. One down. Forever to go. May the light of God never depart from us”, GoldMyneTV quoted Yvonne.

But Abounce, on his part, according to GoldMyneTV, wrote: “To forever, my lady, my wife, my life. If I had to do this again, it would still be you.”

Yvonne Jegede and Abounce on their traditional wedding day

2018: Childbirth

Their love has strengthened and blossomed as they welcomed their son, Xavier, in November 2018, following their first wedding anniversary.

In celebration of their son’s arrival, Yvonne wrote on her Instagram page: “When I first laid my eyes on you, heard your cry, and felt your heartbeat, I developed an unconditional love. I never knew I could witness an angel on earth; you are so beautiful, X. From the moment you were handed to me, I felt something new awakened inside my heart. You have brought me so much joy I cannot explain.

“I promise to give you everything I have. Hold onto my hand and never let it go; I will cross any ocean before I let you down. I know someday you’ll grow into someone who will shine super bright for the world to see because you are a star. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise because there’s no dream in this world that you cannot achieve.

Thank you for choosing me as a channel to come into this world; it is a privilege I will never take for granted.”

Yvonne Jegede and Abounce when the going was good

2019: Crisis

Shortly after the birth of their son, their marriage took a new turn. The actress shared a cryptic message on her Instagram page, indicating that all was not well in their marriage.

“A strong woman will automatically stop trying if she feels unwanted. She won’t fix it or beg. She’ll walk away”, she wrote.

Reports indicated that trouble began in their marital paradise when Abounce allegedly refused to acknowledge Xavier’s paternity. Two months after Xavier’s birth, the actor neither commented on nor posted about him on his social media handles.

However, on 17 February 2019, the Edo-born actress dedicated her son in church with her husband present. Still, she failed to acknowledge or thank him when she shared pictures of the dedication on her social media handles.

But on 4 April 2019, barely two months after the child’s dedication, Abounce acknowledged Xavier for the first time. He shared a video of himself with the child on his Instagram page.

He captioned the video: “I may not always be with you, but I will always be with you. You will be a source of joy, happiness, and blessings to your mother, and I bless your beautiful heart, son; Daddy loves you.”

Following the child’s dedication, Yvonne deleted her husband’s name and photos from her social media accounts. In an interview with Pulse, the actress stated that issues began in their marriage when she was three months pregnant and worsened before she moved out.

She revealed that she moved out of their matrimonial home in April 2018 and returned to her parents’ home. She claimed that Abounce was neither emotionally nor physically supportive when she needed him, choosing instead to ignore her.

She further denied that infidelity was a reason for their separation.

Ever since she moved out of her matrimonial home, the actress has stated in interviews that her short-lived marriage and eventual divorce were a phase and that she appreciates the experience.

2022-2024: Infamous interviews

Five years later, Yvonne reneged on her promise not to ‘kiss and tell’ on the Jara show in 2019, yet through it all, Abouce has remained silent.

The actress claimed she was solely responsible for Xavier since their separation. In 2022, she claimed Abounce refused to see Xavier for three years. She said he does not come around, call, or do anything.

Yvonne alleged that her ex-husband began finding her words towards him disrespectful, which she said led to him holding a grudge against her for weeks.

She explained that, even before their marriage, she noticed her ex-husband did keep malice with her mother. However, she interpreted it as love since she hadn’t grown up with her mother.

“He’s eight years older than me, but we were excellent. The moment we married, if I told him he was crazy, he’d say I disrespected him. I was surprised because it was the same me and the same things I had been saying for over ten years. It became a problem, and he started restricting conversations and, you know, stuff like that. That’s why I said sometimes, the guy will flip, and you’ll be left wondering.

“If he had ever given me that sign when we were friends, like ‘Babe, don’t speak to me in that manner,’ I would have been very respectful. At that time, he never held a grudge against me. But remember, I was a fan of his mom, and that’s how I met him. I would go to their house and make his mother my personal friend. I cannot operate like that, especially since only two of us are in a building. So, am I going to talk to my picture? But he had an A1 in keeping malice.”

The Edo-born actress alleged that the incident was one of many factors that led to their separation.

“It was the fact that we harboured resentment for three weeks while I was pregnant, living in the same house. I packed my bags and returned to my father’s house one day. I thought, ‘What is this? Three weeks of this? What’s going on here?’ I would get so angry and leave, even though I was pregnant, and he knew it.

“I would take my pregnancy to my friend’s house in Ikoyi, Lagos State, staying there from morning until maybe midnight because of our resentment. He didn’t call to ask, ‘Where are you taking our child, even if you don’t care about me?’

She explained that she didn’t realise the pattern of resentment between her ex-husband and his mother was not love but a circle of behaviour.

“It never crossed my mind like that. Many times, I would come around and hear it, and I would think, ‘What a beauty.’ I didn’t have that kind of relationship with my biological mother”, the mother-of-one said.

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2024: Can of worms

The actress revealed that malice was the least significant factor at the end of their one-year marriage.

She explained that the marriage began to experience financial problems during her first trimester of pregnancy.

“Money has never been a motivating factor for me, but what resonated was the issue that arose when we were friends. We had been friends for over a decade. I was contributing more financially, so I wanted to have a say in decisions. I wouldn’t use it to control you, but I would offer suggestions.

“Now it’s up to you to communicate with me. As I mentioned, I’m not confrontational. Like a husband, I won’t raise my voice when speaking to someone I respect. However, we began to argue over finances. This became an issue, not necessarily a problem, but a point of contention. How do we handle our finances? I was contributing more, so I wanted to have a say. I wouldn’t use it to control you, but I would offer suggestions.

“Now it’s up to you to communicate with me. As I mentioned, I’m not confrontational. Like a husband, I won’t raise my voice when speaking to someone I respect. When I say ‘Lord,’ I mean it in the context of a husband. If you’re my boyfriend, I still owe you respect as long as you reciprocate. I am an African woman.”

Yvonne said she always respected boundaries, affirming her deep awareness of personal space and her commitment to never encroach upon Abounce’s territory.

She emphasised that any financial discussions between her and her ex-husband focused on childcare and securing a suitable living arrangement, such as renting an apartment.

“Conversations like this are causing significant issues, and he’ll say, ‘Your pride worries me.’ It’s our money. My husband would buy a Lamborghini and say, ‘Because it’s my money, I’ll not sit in the back. I’ll drive the car.’ So, if it were his money, my words would be sharper. I might even confront him about it because it’s his money.

“So if both of us are damaged or dysfunctional and we enter a relationship, I won’t burden you with my baggage. You carry yours, and I’ll carry mine. We each have our flaws. We are just finding our way. We’ve never been married before. Do you understand? So, there should be some level of understanding. No one needs to fight. He’s my type. He was available. Plus, he possessed the characteristics I desired”, she noted.