Irewole Olaniyan responds to claims of a three-year affair, saying she did not know the man was married and ended the relationship after finding out

Nollywood actress Irewole Olaniyan has broken her silence on allegations that she knowingly maintained a relationship with a married man for nearly three years, insisting that she ended the relationship as soon as she discovered his marital status.

Also read: Laide Olabanji Backs Peter Obi Again Ahead of 2027

The controversy began after a woman identified as Mary Edris publicly accused the actress of being involved with her husband and described the alleged relationship as a long-running affair. The claims were made on social media and subsequently generated discussion among Nigerian entertainment followers.

Mary alleged that she had previously contacted Irewole privately about the situation. She claimed the actress initially told her that she did not know the man was married, but alleged that their relationship continued afterwards.

She also accused the actress of benefiting from the man’s financial support, including alleged funding for movie projects, trips and expensive gifts. Those claims have not been independently established in the reports reviewed.

Irewole, however, has given a different account of the relationship.

The actress acknowledged that she had dated the man, but said she was unaware that he was married when they went on a few dates.

“I am NOT with this said man and I HAVEN’T been with this man since I found out he was married,” she said in a statement, according to reports.

She explained that one of the restaurants where they had a date recorded and published a video of them, adding that she had no reason to hide the outing because she did not know about his marriage at the time.

“We had a few dates, and one of the restaurants made and posted a video of us from one of those dates; I had no issue because I wasn’t hiding and didn’t know he was married then,” she said.

According to Irewole, Mary discovered the restaurant video about a year later, but by that point, she claimed she had already ended her relationship with the man.

She said she informed Mary of this when the latter eventually contacted her and apologised for the situation.

“I had left her husband even before she reached out to me, and I let her know that when she did,” Irewole said.

The actress also disputed the characterisation of her as a woman who knowingly pursued another woman’s husband.

“She’s always said she’d tarnish my image, and she’s tried to get what she wanted. I genuinely didn’t know he was married, and I’d never even gone on a date with him if I knew,” she added.

The dispute has therefore produced two sharply different accounts of the same relationship.

Mary’s allegations centre on the claim that Irewole knew about the marriage and continued seeing the man, while the actress maintains that she only learnt of his marital status after they had already become involved and that she walked away immediately afterwards.

The actress’s response has also shifted attention from the original accusation to the question of what she knew and when she knew it.

For now, the claims surrounding alleged financial support for Irewole’s career, trips and lifestyle remain allegations.

The reports reviewed do not provide independent evidence establishing those claims as fact.

The controversy comes as Irewole continues to build her profile in the Yoruba film industry.

She has previously spoken about acting as a passion and rejected suggestions that she entered Nollywood for reasons unrelated to her interest in filmmaking.

Her latest response appears aimed at drawing a line under the controversy while making clear that she accepts having dated the man but rejects the suggestion that she knowingly participated in an affair with someone’s husband.

“I genuinely didn’t know he was married,” she reiterated, maintaining that she would not have dated him had she known the truth.

Also read: Laide Olabanji Backs Peter Obi Again Ahead of 2027

The allegations and counter-allegations have continued to attract attention online, but neither side’s broader claims about the relationship have been independently verified in the reports reviewed.