Iyabo Ojo claims sex is reason she glows
Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has credited her ageless beauty to an active sex life, while also opening up about her past marriage and current relationship.
The 48-year-old made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on broadcast journalist Morayo Afolabi-Brown’s The Morayo Show.
Asked about the secret behind her radiant look, Ojo said happiness wasn’t tied to marital status. “We (single mothers) are happy. I think some married women are happy too. I don’t think it’s about being single or being married,” she said. “I think it’s about the person that you’re with. Sex has a lot to do with a woman’s glow. I’m getting more than enough. Maybe those with marriage certificates aren’t getting enough.”
The actress, who made her acting debut in the 1998 film Satanic, also spoke about her relationship with talent manager Paul “Paul O” Okoye, whom she unveiled as her partner in December 2022. She described both of them as mature, busy individuals who understand and support each other despite occasional disagreements.
“We’re two mature people and two very busy people, but the most important thing is to understand each other, to support each other, to be there for each other. You know, we fight. We have our ups and downs. It’s normal, but the most important thing is that we respect each other. We respect our space and what we do, and we just move on with that,” she said.
Ojo also reflected on her marriage to Ademidun Ojo, which she said should have ended much earlier than it did. The couple married in 1999, when she was 21, and she stepped away from acting shortly after. The marriage produced two children, Felix (born 1999) and Priscilla (born 2001), before ending in 2001.
The former couple stayed out of the spotlight together for over two decades until April 2025, when they reunited at their daughter’s wedding to Tanzanian singer Juma Jux. Mr Ojo’s absence from the Islamic wedding ceremony in Tanzania had sparked online speculation at the time.
Reflecting on her decision to leave the marriage, Ojo said: “Before I make a decision, I really take my time. The marriage should have ended long before; it should have ended on my wedding night. Yes, so I took my time. And if I look back, I’m so glad I didn’t stay because if I had stayed, probably my kids wouldn’t be where they are today. So it wasn’t about me when I was leaving.”
She added that the decision was made for her children’s sake and her own peace of mind, hinting that more details would emerge in a forthcoming book and film project. “It was about my children. It was about me having a sound mind. Because, you know, these are things I’m going to write in my book and tell them my story, my next cinema movie. My next cinema movie, I’m going to be diving a little bit into my history. So when they get to watch it, they get to learn a little bit about where I’m coming from,” she said.
