Okey Bakassi says 25-year marriage is intact, calls split story fake

Six weeks ago, Okey Bakassi was on Instagram thanking his wife for 25 years of marriage. On Monday night, 12 October 2026, the Nollywood comedian was back on the same account telling fans that the marriage is still standing, after a viral report claimed she had left him.

“My family is intact and in God’s hands,” he wrote under a video posted at about 8:52pm WAT. In the caption he called the story fake news made by people chasing views, and asked followers to report the page that started it on X.

Premium Times reported on Tuesday, 13 October, that he recorded the video after a day on a film set. GistMatrix went back to his own posts to set what he said beside what the report claimed.

What did Okey Bakassi say about his wife?

Okey Bakassi said he and his wife, Ezinne, are still together, and that she and their children come first in his life. In the video, as reported by Premium Times, he said someone had built a story around his name and pictures of the couple, claiming they had gone their separate ways.

He said the rumour sent friends, relatives and fans around the world calling him, and that some people had also called his wife. He added that the episode showed him who really cared, because some people shared the story instead of ringing him or his family to check.

What did the report claim, and what is true?

Premium Times said the claims appeared in a report by a publication called Prompt News. Set against Bakassi’s own words, they break down like this:

The claim: his wife asked for a divorce. What he said: they are still married, and his family is intact.
The claim: she moved to the United States with the children to work as a nurse. What he said: those details are false, according to Premium Times.
The claim: he had spoken about a marital crisis. What his posts show: his only recent post about the marriage before the rumour was a 25th anniversary tribute on 1 September.

When GistMatrix checked @okeybakassi at about 2:35pm WAT on Tuesday, 13 October, the denial video had 9,929 likes and 879 comments, on an account with 546,000 followers. The anniversary post had about 6,600 likes.

How did we get here?

1988: Bakassi met Ezinne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In his anniversary post he said love letters made them friends before university took them in different directions.
1 September 2001: The couple married in Port Harcourt, the city where they met.
1 September 2026: He marked their 25th anniversary on Instagram, calling her Zizi and thanking her for her sacrifices.
Monday, 12 October 2026: The split report spread online, and he posted his denial that evening.
Tuesday, 13 October 2026: Premium Times carried his response.

Born Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule in Imo State, Bakassi made his TV debut in the 1993 series Fortune and his stand-up debut at Opa Williams’s Nite of a Thousand Laughs in 1995. He won best actor (Igbo) at the 2014 Best of Nollywood Awards for Onye Ozi, and he hosts The Other News on Channels TV.

What happens next

Bakassi has asked fans to report the page behind the story on X. As of 2:35pm WAT on Tuesday, 13 October, the denial video was still the newest post on his account. The next big date on his calendar is his 57th birthday on Friday, 23 October.

FAQ

Is Okey Bakassi divorced?
No. He said in an Instagram video on 12 October 2026 that he and his wife, Ezinne, are still together.

Who is Okey Bakassi’s wife?
Ezinne Onyegbule, whom he calls Zizi. They met in Port Harcourt in 1988 and married there on 1 September 2001.

How many children does Okey Bakassi have?
Three, whom he describes as young adults.

Have you ever shared a celebrity story that turned out to be fake? Tell us in the comments.

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