Monalisa Chinda Opens Up On Why She Left Her First Marriage To Dejo Richards & Lessons Learned In Tell-All Interview
Star actress, Monalisa Chinda -Coker has had her fair share of relationship troubles over the years. She got married to record label executive, Dejo Richards, in 2004, though the union only lasted for few years.
Shortly after that, the film producer and television personality got into a publicized relationship with socialite, Lanre Nzeribe, but that relationship also fizzled out. However, the 44-year-old mom eventually got married to a childhood friend, Victor Coker in 2016.
Ever since she tied the knot with Victor, she has been radiating with a glow that is hard to miss. It is very obvious that she is confident and happy with the experience she is enjoying in her present marriage.
In a recent interview with Top Naija, the fair-complexioned actress who has a lovely daughter from her first marriage opened up on why she left the father of her only child.
During the chat, Mrs Coker who says she doesnāt believe in separation or divorce, disclosed that her ex-husband, Richards is a woman beater, who kept hitting her for five years she was in the marriage. She revealed that the excessive beating from the father of her daughter made her think otherwise.
Monalisa further disclosed that after the birth of her child, she thought the violence would stop but rather it persisted. She narrated:
āWhen I had Tamar, I thought that would calm situations. But it didnāt. I knew this was not going to stop. So Tamar clocked one, the violence didnāt stopā¦ So I said if I donāt go, this man is going to kill me and this girl. So I had to turn to Godā¦ I donāt believe in separation of any sort.
I donāt believe in divorce. Why did I talk to God directly? Because I told talked [sic] to my church then, they didnāt do anything about it.
I had a pastor. He didnāt do anything about it, not even calling him to orderā¦ And nothing changed. I turned to Holy Spirit now I said Iām going to leave. And Iām ready to face any consequences be it the mediaā¦
One day, something happenedā¦ He came back and asked for something, it wasnāt available and next I heard was a bang on my head, slapsā¦ My daughter was crying. Neighbours were screaming āyou will kill her o! You will kill her o!
READ ALSO: See Why Monalisa Chinda Thinks Women Share the Blame for Domestic Violence
Every day we no go hear something for this compound!āā¦ That nightā¦ the friend came over and stopped itā¦ The morning after, Iād packed my things and taken Tamar to go to my very good friendās placeā¦ a colleague of mine who opened her home to me and my daughterā¦
I had to go back again to get Tamarās, few of Tamarās things because I didnāt have any moneyā¦. and then he blocked me and immediately I went into tongue-speaking in my heart saying this man should not kill me today. And after that beating that day I almost died. I decided to never to come back there again.ā
On how she tried to keep it together before finally deciding to move out of her marriage, she said,
”I wasnāt in a hurry to leave the marriage, I gave it five yearsā¦ Maybe if the marriage wasnāt violent, I would have stayed from day one from pushing off the head to slap to every slightest provocationā¦.ā
Even though I had peace in my heart when all of these were happening, I was waiting for the right time to leave and it took me 5 years.”
Mrs Coker also talked about the lessons learned from the crashed union.
Watch the videos below…