Veteran Nollywood actress, Idowu Philips, popularly known as Mama Rainbow, has opened up about the personal experience that made her vow never to remarry after the death of her husband.
Speaking in a recent interview with actress Bimpe Akintunde, the 83-year-old screen icon recalled how a man who once proposed to her changed his mind after discovering the size of her family.
According to her, the man visited her home years ago and met 11 children eating with her. When he realized all the children were hers, he quietly walked away and never returned.
Mama Rainbow said the incident broke her heart but also strengthened her resolve to remain single and focus on raising her children.
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“A man wanted to marry me when my husband died, but he ran away when he saw 11 kids with me,” she said. “He came to my house and saw the children eating with me. When I told him they were all my children, he left and never came back. Since then, I decided never to get married again, and I have remained single.”
Mama Rainbow lost her husband in 1984 and single-handedly raised her children while continuing to build a remarkable career in acting.
Starting her journey in the 1960s, she has since featured in countless Yoruba and English-language films and remains one of the most respected matriarchs in the Nigerian film industry, admired for her resilience, faith, and enduring contribution to Nollywood.