The name Mercy Johnson hardly needs any introduction. The celebrated Nollywood actress recently had a sit down with Leadership newspaper during which she revealed how she has been able to sustain her marriage this long and what keeps it going through the rough patches. She relived touching experiences where she had to confide in her husband and look to him for support. When asked about the generally believed notion that actresses do not make good wives,
Mercy had this to say:
Well, I can only speak from my own perspective and when I say my
perspective, I mean from my personal experiences, marriage and
relationship with my husband. One of the biggest lies anyone can tell
himself/herself is using one or more random experiences to judge and
stereotype others. We all have our different stories to tell. I have two
children for my husband today and he has not stopped talking about how
down-to-earth I was yet I am an actress; not just any actresses. I had a
large following at that time yet I did not go around pouting my lips or
playing the snub. My husband later confessed to me that for him, it was
love at first sight but that did not stop him from asking me to cook
for him the first day I set foot in his house.
At first, I was stunned that a Nigerian man was asking me to enter his
kitchen to cook him a meal. A part of me whispered to me that perhaps,
he was not aware of who I was and when I said to him: ‘You must be
joking. My name is Mercy Johnson’. What shocked me even more was his
response when he said: ‘I know’. Rather than take offence, I was drawn
closer to him.
On the high divorce rate among celebrities, Mercy who’s also a
producer said: In marriage, you must have trust and you must also have
love. The moment you lose these two, then it is just a matter of time
before you embark on a calamitous countdown towards the end of your
marriage. My relationship with my husband has been very special. He is
not just my husband or father of my children. He is my friend. mercy
johnson and family stargist Talking about the secrets to the stability
of her marriage, Mercy pinned it on honesty.
She said:don’t even have to think about it. It is honesty. I remember the words
of my pastor to me even before we got married. He advised me never to
have a marriage built on lies and I listened. I don’t lie to my husband.
We have agreed to tell the truth to each other regardless of how
painful or scary it might be. I remember one instance when I found
myself crying when I had to tell him the truth. That day, I had attended
an event wearing a lovely dress that had a slit but unfortunately, at
that event, the paparazzi captured a wrong image of me. I picked up my
phone and I don’t think I have to tell you who I called first. My
husband, of course, and guess what? I was crying and sobbing even before
I started talking to him because I felt really bad about it. Rather
than lie to him, I told him the complete truth and it helped in no small
measure. I remember him asking how bad it was and I remember telling
him that it was really bad. I sent him the photo and he consoled me.
That is what a husband who is also a friend does. He did not rub it in
my face, insult me, make me feel bad or dent my self-esteem. He was
there for me when I needed him and he has not stopped till date. This is
one of the reasons I do not hide anything from him. He loves me just as
passionately and as fiercely as I love him and I have no doubt in my
mind that our marriage was ordained. God had a hand in it and that is
why everything just works out between us. That is the only thing I can
consider the secret of our love story, which continues to blossom. I
have two children, an amazing husband and millions of fans who have held
my back over the years and of course, God who has watched over my
affairs from the very first day I arrived in this world till this
moment.