”Third-Party Interference Nearly Ruined Our Marriage…” The Ewurums Bare All
Chima Ewurum, Nollywood producer, actor and artiste, and his wife, Frances, who is also a doctoral student, made some poignant revelations about their love story.
They left no stone unturned during their chat Jayne Augoye, Punch entertainment reporter.
Read excerpts from the interview below…
How did you meet your wife?
Chima: I met her at the University of Port Harcourt; she had just rounded off her final exams and she went about doing her clearance. From a distance, I noticed she looked distraught and I walked up to her to find out what the problem was. I realized that she was overwhelmed with the clearance process, so I offered to assist her.
How did the relationship develop?
We became very good friends and communicated regularly. We dated for two years and in no time, we became inseparable.
How did he propose to you?
Frances: He popped the question during my service year. I went to visit him at the office, and he asked me to accompany him to the supermarket to shop for groceries. On our way back, he gave me a dainty case. I was puzzled at first because a proposal was the last thing on my mind. In that state of bewilderment, I opened the case and saw a very striking ring. At that moment, he dropped to his knees and asked me to be his wife. I was confused and shocked at the same time but I said yes.
Chima: Yes, but my wife is truly God-sent. Marriage was the last thing on my mind at the time God brought us together.
What attracted you to each other?
Chima: Not only did her beauty attract me, I also fell in love with her kind heart.
Frances: I was and am still drawn to his kind-heartedness and selfless nature.
Did members of your families disapprove of your relationship while you courted?
Chima: They never supported our relationship at first and I wouldn’t want to speak about it.
Frances: Our marriage is a beautiful one and an exciting journey. The experiences of the past do not shape our future. The experiences we had have made us stronger and better in love. The chemistry gets better as the years roll by. I am extremely glad that we found love.
How did you adjust to life as a married woman?
Frances: I guess it wasn’t so difficult for me because I got married to my best friend. We were friends even before we started dating. As you would expect, I settled into our marriage because he made it clear from the outset that nothing about us would change after we got married. We only took our relationship to the next level. He’s been so understanding and supportive, and I guess that’s the main secret.
What would you like to change about each other?
Chima: I wish I could make her a lot more open-minded and patient.
Frances: I love him just the way he is.
Chima: Not at all and it’s a joint decision.
Frances: No, we don’t. Not because we can’t, but we choose not to. It is very important for couples to respect each other’s privacy.
How do you spend time together as a couple?
Frances: We both love playing video games, listening to good music and touring several exotic locations around the world.
Did you set out to marry someone in the entertainment industry?
Frances: Never! Not even in my wildest dreams. I used to have my reservations about people in the entertainment industry because of what I had read and heard about them, and their lifestyle. But, when I met my husband, he changed my perspective about artistes through his attitude and ideology. He made me believe in the saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover.
How do you maintain your privacy despite being married to a celebrity?
Frances: Honestly, it is not so easy but I guess the secret is allowing him to do his thing. I try not to always get physically involved in all his appearances, both on his social media accounts and at functions. I believe in supporting my spouse behind the scene with prayers and words of encouragement. That I don’t attend most functions with him does not mean I don’t attend at all.
In what ways do you involuntarily upset your partner?
Frances: He can work on his laptop all day, reading scripts or working. And I hate it; he knows that. Gradually, he is curtailing that habit. And slowly, I know it will be reduced.
Do you operate a joint bank account?
Chima: We will give it a shot later on in our marriage.
Do you get jealous of your wife’s male admirers?
Chima: It is normal to feel jealous when another man makes passes at your wife. Thankfully, because of the understanding we have, it’s no longer an issue.
Chima: My wife is my biggest fan. She’s been so supportive of what I do and I also support her in any way I can. That has kept the marriage going and strong.
How do you make up when there is a quarrel?
Chima: We are always quick to apologise to each other whenever we offend each other.
Frances: Whenever he notices a frown on my face, he tries to make me laugh by saying something funny or by simply tickling me. Then, he apologises and explains if there is a need to do so.
What pet names do you address each other by?
Frances: Pet names are never in short supply in our home. We call each other honey or sweet sweet.
Why do you think some celebrity marriages crash?
Chima: The absence of the fear of God and allowing external forces into your home.
Third-party interference nearly ruined our marriage, but we fought so hard to make it work. We are determined to see our marriage succeed.
What are the secrets to a lasting union?
Chima: Prayer, trust, communication and understanding.
Has marriage deprived you of the freedom to do as you wish?
Frances: On the contrary, marriage has opened up new and exciting vistas for me because I married a man that believes so much in me. He pushes me beyond my limits. He tells me to do what makes me happy. He doesn’t believe in restructuring a woman. He loves and trusts me, even as he desires the best for me.
What advice would you give to celebrities who are married?
Chima: My advice will be ‘never put your job or personality before your marriage.’ It is just like putting the cart before the horse. It will not work.
Leave social media out of your marriage. Social media is gradually ruining marriages.
Don’t be too busy for your spouse, because he or she is human.
Pay attention to your spouse; let your stardom remain outside of the home; never bring it home with you.
This is a good read. I pray all marriages are like this and even better.
That is when you marry your friend. Nice advice there
This is nice
Nice talk
Wow
A very wonderful advice….
cool
Nice one
Nice piece!
Nice
Hmmmm, indeed but is it possible to trust a partner u don’t have free access to his phone in the name of privacy? People sha