‘My ex-wife tarnished my image, married out our daughter without my consent’- Fred Amata alleges

Actor and movie producer Fred Amata has criticised his ex-wife, Agatha Amata, famous for her talk show, ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, for giving their daughter’s hand in marriage without his consent.

Agatha, the CEO of RaveTV Lagos and Trend FM100.9, Asaba, divorced the famous actor in 2005. The divorce was reportedly amicable, and they have two children, Oreva and Stephanie. Three years after their divorce, her ex-husband welcomed a daughter, Zino, with actress and ex-beauty queen Ibinabo Fiberisima.

Amata, absent at their daughter’s wedding in the UK, ‘reunited’ with his ex-wife for their son Oreva’s traditional wedding in Lagos in June 2023. However, he was absent at the white wedding held in the United States in May of the same year.

Amata’s latest allegations have brought their past issues back into the spotlight.

On Wednesday, Agatha announced on her Instagram page the marriage of her daughter, Stephanie and wished her a blissful union, sharing a video from the wedding ceremony. In the video, she could be seen walking her down the aisle, a tradition that fathers or males typically carry out.

Reacting to the marriage in a post on his social media accounts, the actor Fred Amata expressed his shock and disbelief at his ex-wife’s action, describing it as a grave injustice in their culture.

He said: “Abomination, embrace taboo, stare Africa in the eyes to manipulate my daughter and her husband, hoodwink the lovebirds, and walk my daughter down the aisle to give Stephanie away to a husband. I can’t keep quiet anymore. It’s time to speak up. This is an abomination. This is taboo. Nowhere in the world, nowhere in Africa, nowhere in Delta State, and the lands where we come from can a woman give away her child in marriage, especially when the father is alive.

“Especially when the father is willing and able. Worse still, when the father is in the same city. What malice would drive a woman, in an attempt to rubbish her ex-husband, to lead his daughter to marriage? What manipulation would warrant concealing the date and time from a father who has already given his blessing? Even if the daughter forgets when the father and daughter are in the same city of London, is it not the place of ‘The Good Wife’?”

Heartbroken father

The 61-year-old questioned his ex-wife’s audacity to give their daughter’s hand in marriage without his knowledge.

Amata, who rose to fame in 1986 for his role in Legacy, sought advice from Nigerians and well-wishers on what to do next.

He stated that a good wife would never do such a thing simply to make a man look bad.

“Good people, netizens, well-wishers, haters, and influencers. What options are left to this heartbroken father? How do you throw away the baby with the bathwater? Do you cast away the ones you will forever love because a ‘good wife’ has been blinded by wealth and fury to jeopardise the father’s blessings on his daughter?

“They came to me in London; Aaron brought drinks as kola to me, the father, as the pictures show. Do you throw away the baby with the bathwater? Do you cast away the ones you will forever love because a ‘good wife’ has been blinded by wealth and fury to jeopardise the father’s blessings on his daughter? What kind of ‘good wife’ does a thing like this simply to make a man look bad?”

Tarnished image

The actor also alleged that his ex-wife had tarnished his reputation, belittled his achievements, and exploited his name for her selfish gain since their divorce.

He said he had remained silent and refrained from commenting on their failed marriage, hoping that the wounds would heal and reconciliation might be possible.

He said, “It was over 25 years ago that I came up with the unique idea of ‘Inside-Out with Agatha’, a talk show with six informed and opposing points of view represented by a person with oratorial skills, now male, now female. We had seen a talk show by Regina Askia, and Agatha wanted to be a host. I told her not to worry: ‘I will come up with something; it will make you like Oprah Winfrey,’ and I did it ingeniously.

“I was the dedicated creator, throwing in flesh, blood, and sweat to create and deliver a concept that had never before been done in Nigeria, save for a similar, perhaps less engaging, six episodes of a programme called MEE to You, or something like that, by the late May Ellen Ezekiel, who was married to RMD. A programme that could stand the test of time and put bread on the table of the young marriage—a programme so versatile it is still relevant today.”

Inside Out with Agatha my idea – Fred Amata

Amata further revealed that his ex-wife had leveraged his programme, ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, which has been recognised as Nigeria’s longest-running television talk show, airing for over twenty years, against him.

He added that he sacrificed his initial bid for the presidency of the Directors Guild of Nigeria in favour of ‘Inside Out with Agatha’, which ultimately became a runaway hit.

However, he said he did not realise the programme’s success would threaten his marriage. He said the concept and vision he introduced in ‘Inside Out with Agatha’ were unprecedented in Nigeria.

“‘Inside Out with Agatha’ was an instant hit. The genius of the angle, the production values, the directorial approach, the lighting, and the production design were so engaging that it was irresistible. I was at the height of my directorial rendezvous and had gathered a production crew of the best technical hands in what is now early Nollywood. TV soaps were the biggest things because we dared to stand out from the emerging crowd of Nollywood directors. Kingsley Ogoro, my friend, brother, and nemesis, would lead a high.

“I co-opted Nollywood greats: Zack Orji, Okey Bakassi, Sunny McDon, Francis Onwochei, Emeka Ossai, Zik Zulu Okafor, Francis Duru, Prince Jide Kosoko, and numerous friends who looked up to me. I asked for their support for the first episodes, and soon everybody who was anybody wanted to be part of Inside Out.

“I staked every resource—friends, favours, loyalties, family, extended family, and links. I was involved in the crème de la crème of big productions and studios: Tunde Kelani, Wale Fanu, Tade Ogidan, Tunde Oloyede, Pat Nebo, Uzor Okpeche, Simi Opeoluwa, Opa Williams, the late Chico Ejiro, and numerous others—to ensure no failure of the programme.”

He described the program as one that could endure over time and provide financial stability for young couples.

Fred Amata on Marriage resolution

He stated that during a resolution meeting to their marital crisis, the families (his and his ex-wife’s) agreed that ‘Inside Out with Agatha’ proceeds would continue to support the children.

He said they permitted Agatha to continue the programme because she was the marketing representative.

He alleged that she changed after ‘Inside Out with Agatha’ became the financial backbone of his ex-wife, whom he described as the ‘Good Wife’.

“With the influence it wielded and the contacts and connections it gathered, ‘The Good Wife’ soon built an empire with no emperor. She employed maligning my name to acquire favours and contracts. Inside Out is the source of all the Good Wife’s wealth. My genius, my sweat, my vision, and for 20 years, I swallowed it. My reputation diminished as the Good Wife’s gathered momentum. So today, the Good Wife, using my brainchild, has become a billionaire—no credit to me.

“No compensation, no royalty. But the Good Wife is good; let raising the children be my royalty. Buoyed by her success without recourse to the creator, the Ebu Delta State-born Good Wife has gathered a litany of resentment. She has registered a new company to own the programme, discarding the company we set up. She has sued for and obtained a divorce, and 20 years on, she still carries bitterness and will go to extremes to tarnish my image”, he added.

He says everything his ex-wife owns directly results from his programme, ‘Inside Out with Agatha.’

‘But understand this, ‘Good Wife’ Agatha: everything you have ever owned and will ever own is because of ‘Inside Out’. It is my brainchild, my intellectual property. You have yet to bury me with your silence and indifference to the billions you have reaped while remaining oblivious to your extravagant wealth.

“This so-called ‘Good Wife’ dares defy tradition, challenge societal norms, and embrace taboos. She dares to confront Africa, attempting to manipulate my daughter and her husband, to deceive the lovebirds and lead my daughter down the aisle to give Stephanie to her husband.”

Agatha hasn’t responded to her ex-husband’s allegations as of press time.