The legal counsel to Nollywood actor Frederick Leonard, Rita Amy, has spoken out on what she claims led to the breakdown of his marriage to actress Peggy Ovire.
Amy made the disclosure while reacting to Ovire’s recent social media post in which she sought her followers’ opinions on infidelity in marriage.
While some social media users speculated that the post was a plot from an upcoming movie, others suggested it could be a reflection of Ovire’s personal experience.
Reacting to the development, Rita Amy dismissed claims of infidelity, stating that Leonard ended the marriage due to what she described as Ovire’s disrespectful attitude.
According to Amy, this was the second time Leonard had walked away from the marriage, stressing that it was his decision and not Ovire’s. She said she initially chose not to speak out of respect for the couple, particularly Leonard, whom she described as a personal friend and client.
“Nothing of such happened,” Amy said.
She further Ovire of attempting to push a narrative that she left the marriage because of cheating, insisting instead that Leonard ended the union due to irreconcilable differences.
Amy further alleged that during the separation, Ovire accused several women of being involved with her husband, citing Ovire’s decision to unfollow actress Sarah Martins as an example.
She added that Leonard had been careful not to publicly malign his wife despite repeated provocations. Amy also questioned the timing of Ovire’s actions, noting that she removed Leonard’s surname from her social media pages weeks before making the allegations.
Amy concluded by stating that Leonard once told her the marriage had broken down irretrievably, not because his wife was a bad person, but because of fundamental differences in values.
According to her, Leonard described Ovire as “very Western” and unwilling to submit in the marriage. She added that the first major breakdown occurred after an argument in which Ovire reportedly walked out, contrary to an agreement they had before getting married.
