Nigerian reality TV star Bella Okagbue has broken her silence on her relationship with fellow reality star Segun Olusemo, popularly known as Sheggz, addressing their breakup and previous plans to get married.
Her statement comes days after Sheggz confirmed that their relationship, which began during the 2022 edition of Big Brother Naija, ended in January, with Okagbue addressing the development in a lengthy statement shared on her Instagram Story, explaining that she had initially chosen to remain silent because she believed certain aspects of the relationship should remain private.
She, however, said her decision to keep quiet should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing. “For the past few days, I have watched people tell my story for me. I stayed silent because I believed some things deserved to remain private, but my silence should never be mistaken for guilt,” she said.
The reality star explained that she had genuinely loved Sheggz and defended their relationship because she believed in it at the time.
She also acknowledged giving him another opportunity because she believed people could change and grow. “I loved genuinely. I defended the relationship because I believed in it at the time, and I chose to give someone I love a second chance because I believe people can grow and change,” Bella Okagbue wrote. “That was my choice, and I own it.”
However, she stressed that believing in someone’s ability to change did not mean she was obligated to wait indefinitely for that change to happen.
According to her, the public image of a person may sometimes differ significantly from the experience of those who know them privately.
“The person everyone experiences publicly isn’t always the person you experience privately,” she said.
Addressing questions surrounding marriage and a ring that had previously fueled speculation about their relationship, Bella Okagbue said wanting to marry someone she loved was not an act of desperation.
“On marriage and the ring, let me be clear: wanting marriage with someone you love is not desperation. Knowing when not to marry them is discernment,” she said.
She added that walking away from a relationship could sometimes require more courage than remaining in it, stressing that marriage could not resolve problems that had already made a relationship difficult.
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“Sometimes, it takes more courage to walk away than to stay. A ring doesn’t fix what made a relationship impossible,” she said.
Okagbue further revealed that repeated promises had eventually lost their meaning for her, saying she had begun paying more attention to patterns of behavior than words.
“A hundred promises. Not one fulfilled. At some point, you stop listening to promises and start paying attention to patterns,” she wrote.
The reality star also suggested that some versions of events circulating publicly did not accurately reflect her experience.
She said there were aspects of the relationship she had deliberately chosen not to disclose publicly and reserved the right to tell her side of the story when she considered the time appropriate.
“There are versions of events circulating that do not reflect my experience, just as there are parts of my experience, I have chosen not to discuss publicly yet,” she said.
Bella Okagbue maintained that she had given the relationship love, loyalty and another opportunity, but eventually reached a point where she had to prioritize her own wellbeing.
She said loyalty could not continue indefinitely when trust, respect and peace could no longer exist together. “I gave love a chance. I gave change a chance. I gave loyalty in abundance. But even loyalty has an expiry date when trust, respect and peace can no longer coexist with it,” she said.
Despite the breakup, Okagbue said she did not regret giving the relationship another chance, adding that she respected the person she had become enough to recognize when it was time to move on.
“I don’t regret being the woman who chose to try again. I respect the woman I am today enough to know when trying again is no longer the answer, so today, I choose myself,” she concluded.
It was reported that Okagbue and Sheggz met during the 2022 edition of Big Brother Naija, where their relationship quickly attracted attention from viewers.
Their romance continued to generate significant interest among fans and followers of the reality show, particularly because of their public displays of affection and discussions about their future together.
NAN
