One year after his highly publicised fallout with Nollywood actress and former close friend, Ekene Umenwa, popular skit maker and actor Deacon Famous has finally shared his side of the story, shedding light on what led to their disagreement and why he chose to remain silent at the time.
According to Deacon Famous, the issue unfolded during a particularly sensitive period in his life—his wedding preparations. He explained that he deliberately avoided responding publicly to the controversy because he wanted peace and emotional stability as he prepared for marriage.
He revealed that his wife advised him to stay silent, a decision he followed to ensure his wedding period remained free of distractions and emotional stress.
Addressing long-standing speculations, Deacon Famous stated clearly that his wife had no issues with Ekene Umenwa and was never involved in the misunderstanding. He described his wife as calm, non-confrontational, and uninterested in social media drama, stressing that the matter was strictly between himself and Ekene.
He explained that the tension began after a private conversation he had with Ekene the night before the issue became public. According to him, during that discussion, she spoke strongly against a certain individual—widely believed online to be his former girlfriend—suggesting that the person did not have good intentions toward his wedding.
However, he said he became confused the following day when he saw Ekene publicly celebrating the same individual with warm birthday messages online. Seeking clarity, he reached out to her privately to ask about the apparent contradiction.
Deacon Famous claimed that instead of responding directly, Ekene shared screenshots of his message with others, including her husband and a priest. He expressed disappointment at how the situation escalated and noted that the priest he expected to remain neutral appeared to side more closely with her perspective.
He added that during the height of the misunderstanding, Ekene’s mother was the only person who reached out to him in an attempt to calm tensions and encourage peace between both parties.
Beyond the personal fallout, Deacon Famous also spoke about how the situation affected a professional project. He said he had developed a movie concept specifically with Ekene in mind due to their close friendship.
According to him, the project faced several delays after her wedding. When she eventually agreed to proceed—on the condition that filming would take place in Asaba—he relocated his production team and personally handled accommodation and logistics.
He later said he was informed that Ekene had accepted another production scheduled for the same period, which ultimately caused the project to fall through.
Deacon Famous revealed that they later reconciled, noting that Ekene apologised while she was heavily pregnant and abroad. Although he accepted her apology and chose forgiveness, he said the experience had already taken a significant emotional toll on him.
He also disclosed that during the controversy, he faced intense online backlash based on narratives he believes did not fully reflect his side of the story. According to him, misleading impressions were circulated, and he alleged that money was paid to bloggers to publish negative content about him—an account he described as his personal experience of events.
Reflecting on their friendship, he recalled that during his proposal period, Ekene had questioned whether he truly understood the woman he intended to marry. He said he reassured her at the time that he was confident in his decision.
A year later, Deacon Famous says he has chosen forgiveness but admits he cannot forget the emotional strain of that period, including online criticism, hostile comment sections, and attacks directed at his wife.
He concluded by explaining that his silence was intentional—not an admission of guilt—but a conscious decision to protect his marriage and mental well-being. With time passed and emotions settled, he said he felt it was necessary to finally share his side of the story to present a more balanced public record.
