Kikelomo Atanda-Owo, wife of prominent journalist Reuben Abati, has revealed that she was divorced twice before marrying Abati in 2020, sharing deeply personal details about her past relationships and the lessons they taught her about love, identity and healing.

Speaking during a recent appearance on The Morayo Show, Atanda-Owo disclosed that her first marriage ended after she discovered that her husband was gay, while her second marriage was marked by abuse and infidelity.

Reflecting on the experiences, she said they reshaped her understanding of relationships and self-worth.

“I’m so happy to be here to explain to other women and people behind me to understand that love can find you again. I’m a woman who has been divorced twice. I allowed it the best way I could. And my scars, I’ve been burnt, but my scars have healed, and I’ve found victory. And in that victory, there is healing first. So you must first see yourself before you can align with someone else,” she said.

Detailing the circumstances of her past marriages, she stated:

“For a woman who has been divorced twice, first off, I married a gay person without me knowing. Let me put it out there. And the second one was the biggest philandering abuser. She (Morayo) knows part of the story. And today, looking back, I have no regrets whatsoever because when I look at my children, I say to myself, ‘How better would I have had the children if not through these experiences?’ So God blessed me with the greatest investment of my life.”

Atanda-Owo expressed profound gratitude for her children, describing them as her “greatest investments.”

Offering advice to women and men navigating relationships, she emphasised the importance of alignment and self-awareness. According to her, someone may appear reasonable yet not be the right partner.

“You must find somebody who will align with your journey. And I think that’s the reason why the universe provided me with one of the greatest, most prominent voices Africa has ever produced. And today, when I’m telling my story, I’m thankful and grateful to God that I had a man who saw my value. I had a man who met me when I had clarity, when I had purpose.

“Many people out there sometimes find themselves in certain relationships because of what the world will say, because of how you feel depressed with yourself, how you got to that place. You must first of all understand yourself, why you make the choices you make and the patterns that you make,” she added.

She also revealed that earlier in life, she equated a man’s declaration of love with a proposal of marriage, a mindset shaped in part by her upbringing.

“My parents never lived under the same roof. And at some point, when my dad relocated, I was living in a different house where my grandmother, Alhaja, passed away. And at that point, when you tell me you love me, automatically, it means you want to marry me.

“So, every guy that comes my way and says you love me, I believe them. Even though we are in the season of love, like my husband said, I think that love is not enough.”

While clarifying that she does not condemn anyone for their sexual orientation, Atanda-Owo stressed that honesty is essential, urging individuals to be truthful rather than deceptive.

She further encouraged people experiencing abuse in relationships to seek help, stressing that there is hope and healing after hardship.

Her revelations offer a candid account of resilience, self-discovery and the belief that love, when rooted in clarity and purpose, can come again after pain.