I met Yul as teenager, but marriage isn’t worth dying for – May Edochie
Internet personality and entrepreneur May Edochie has revealed how she met her estranged husband, controversial actor Yul Edochie.
Yul and May married in 2004 and have three sons and a daughter. However, their marriage collapsed after May filed for divorce in August 2023.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the divorce case, ongoing before the FCT High Court in Abuja, has been stalled four times, with the most recent adjournment occurring on 6 February 2025.
May revealed how she met the 43-year-old actor in a viral video with Media Room Hub on Monday.
The actress said: “We met way back in school, when I went to the East for my university. We didn’t attend the same school. I went to Enugu State University of Science and Technology, while he went to UNIPORT.
“It’s not a party, we met at the GCE centre. We were kids when we met. We were teenagers. I can’t remember our age when we met, until I have to count backwards or something.”
Marriage
Additionally, May maintained that marriage is a beautiful institution, emphasising that she is family-oriented.
While she acknowledged that marriage precedes family and that there can be no family without marriage, she cautioned women against enduring violence in the name of preserving their marriage.
“So marriage is a beautiful thing. I see it as something that should not be compromised, and basically love yourselves, respect yourselves. Marriage is all about sacrifices, but don’t get killed while you’re at it. You don’t have to lose your life because you want to stay married. Give your best, do all you can to make it right.
“Because we all come from different backgrounds, different orientations about life and all of that. So you should be able to tolerate, and you should have some level of patience. You should be able to listen and communicate. Don’t assume. These are the things that I think lead to a lot of problems”, she added.
Career-wise
Additionally, the actress addressed the issue of wives outperforming their husbands, stressing that marriage is not a competition.
She maintained that it does not matter who achieves more professionally in marriage, as such differences are simply part of life.
According to her, society has long held the belief that men should be more successful than women in their careers, while women are expected to stay at home and care for the children.
Countering this notion, she said, “I believe some of these men are scared. They’re terrified about their wives doing so well because they think they may walk out of the marriage or not respect them. But it’s not the case. It shouldn’t be. Women are there to assist the men. They’re like helpers.
“So if you have a wife who feels she can combine her work with the family, looking after the family, taking care of the husband and the children, why not? She has the capacity to do that. So if you have a wife who is ahead of you and doing better than you, it is for the benefit of the family.”
She noted that whether the husband or the wife is doing well, it ultimately contributes to the family’s growth.
According to her, couples should unite, work, communicate effectively, and strive to move the family forward.
Sacrifice
Speaking on the issue of women giving up their careers for marriage, May said it depends on individual circumstances, but emphasised that she does not support that notion.
She added that what works for one family may not necessarily work for another.
“Let me use myself as an example. When I started having children, I wasn’t really working. I was at home. I did some kind of small business because I’m not the type who will stay idle. I always want to be productive. So I had to do one or two things that I could cope with because I had little children, and I wanted to take care of my own children myself. Even though I had help, I would not leave my children in the hands of house help for any reason.
“This is my personal decision. And my children would complete three years before they go to school. It is my personal decision. It was working for me. You know, but some people are career women. You cannot abandon your job. You just had a child, because you also need to bring in income for these children to be cared for. So you just have to find a balance, find something that works,” said the actress.
Advise
More so, she advised women entering marriage to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
May noted that people respond to challenges differently and manage situations in their own unique ways.
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She added, “I always tell myself, we all came to this world alone. You will not leave this world with anybody. You need to start living for yourself before you live for another person. Some people know this. Some people can discover this after specific experiences.
“So you also need to remember you have other family members apart from the man. Remember your roots. You came from somewhere. The man is somebody you met at a certain stage of your life. So what about those you started with? How would they feel if you exited this world because of a man?”
She also urged women to leave toxic marriages before such relationships cost them their lives.
“That’s why many women still don’t understand how to escape that situation. You have to motivate yourself. You have to inspire yourself. You have to talk to yourself. You have to tell yourself the truth.
“Like I said, you have to live for yourself and live for other family members, for your loved ones. Surround yourself with those that genuinely love you, care for you, hold on to God, and pray”, May added.
When asked whether she would consider marrying again, May responded, “That’s a trillion-dollar question and story for another day. My DM is full of messages from men. In fact, I ran away from my DM.
“But I’m fine. Like I said, I want to focus on my children, family, and business. Others can come later.”