Portable and Ashabi Simple: 5 Celebrity Marital Sagas That Shook Social Media in January 2026
- January 2026 was a dramatic month for Nigerian celebrity marriages as some couples reconciled after years of public war, while others watched their unions collapse in real time
- From arrests and detention to surprise reunions and burial controversies, five celebrity marital sagas dominated social media timelines and refused to leave the headlines throughout the month
- Portable, Tonto Dikeh, Femi Adebayo, Omije Ojumi, Peggy Ovire, and Frederick Leonard all had their private battles become public entertainment in the first month of the year
In Nigeria’s entertainment world, celebrity marriages are more than just private affairs; they are public spectacles that dominate headlines and timelines.
January 2026 proved this once again, as Nollywood stars and music personalities found their marital lives thrust into the spotlight.
Source: Instagram
While some couples found their way back to each other after years of bitterness, others watched their marriages crumble in real time as private battles became public spectacles.
Here are five celebrity marital sagas that completely dominated social media conversations and refused to leave the headlines in January 2026:
1. Portable vs Ashabi Simple – New year clash ended in handcuffs
When Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, asked Ashabi Simple to bring him New Year food to his bar in Ogun State, nobody expected that the visit would develop into one of January's most explosive celebrity scandals.
What should have been a simple celebration descended speedily into a violent confrontation.
As seen in a viral video, the drama began when Ashabi insisted that she deserved recognition as Portable's wife rather than just a baby mama, but the singer made it clear that he only acknowledged Bewaji as his wife, while others, including Ashabi, are just baby mamas.
Things turned physical, with Ashabi later accusing Portable of slapping her, beating her, and threatening her siblings with an axe, among other allegations.
Days later, Portable released a diss track targeting Ashabi and her family, while Ashabi fired back with emotional posts describing him as manipulative and abusive.
The situation escalated when Ashabi and her siblings filed a police complaint. On January 11, Portable was arrested, with viral videos showing him crying in custody.
He appeared before a Federal High Court facing charges including assault and resisting arrest. The court denied him bail, and while in detention, he received news that Bewaji had given birth.
Days later, he was released, but the damage to his public image had already been done.
Source: Instagram
2. Femi Adebayo vs Iyan Aladuke – Is reconciliation on its way?
Femi Adebayo and his estranged wife Omotayo Sanusi, widely known as Iyan Aladuke, became one of January's most debated celebrity marital controversies.
Although the couple separated in early 2025, the situation regained attention when Iyan Aladuke shared affectionate photos and family moments with the actor, sparking reconciliation rumours.
Around the same period, she accused actress Olatoun Olanrewaju of playing a role in the collapse of her marriage, though later claims suggested she did not author the posts.
The situation intensified when Iyan Aladuke announced the shutdown of her upscale traditional restaurant in Yaba, accusing Femi Adebayo of sending armed men to evict her entire family, including her aged mother.
However, a member of Adebayo’s family countered the claims, stating that the building belonged to the actor and was foreclosed by the bank after loan repayment issues.
The family member also stated that Adebayo relocated his ex-wife and her relatives to a short-let apartment, offered to pay for another home, and had consistently supported their child, including funding expensive medical treatment abroad.
She further claimed that Adebayo previously bought land in Iyan Aladuke’s name, which she allegedly sold.
The controversy deepened when Olatoun Olanrewaju released voice notes and messages accusing Iyan Aladuke of spreading false narratives and planning to damage Adebayo’s reputation.
Despite the tension, Iyan Aladuke eventually returned online and later announced the reopening of her food business through a skit featuring Adebayo, sparking speculation about possible reconciliation.
Source: Instagram
3. Tonto Dikeh vs Olakunle Churchill – A miracle reconciliation
After nearly ten years of bitter public dispute, Tonto Dikeh and her ex-husband, Olakunle Churchill, shocked Nigerians in January 2026 by announcing their reconciliation.
Their marriage, which began in 2015, collapsed in 2017 amid allegations of infidelity and abuse, triggering a prolonged custody battle and countless online confrontations.
On January 24, Tonto publicly revealed that their long-standing feud had finally ended, describing the reconciliation as a divine intervention.
Churchill confirmed the news and shared an emotional revelation that he had received a phone call from their son, King Andre, for the first time since his birth. He credited Tonto's renewed Christian faith for helping them resolve their differences.
During a church testimony, Tonto Dikeh explained that their son had included a prayer request about his passport during a 21-day prayer session, and two days later, Churchill reached out to return important documents.
The former couple resumed following each other on social media, and Tonto reverted their son's surname to Churchill.
Weeks later, Churchill met his son physically for the first time in many years, with photos of the emotional reunion flooding social media.
Source: Instagram
4. Omije Ojumi vs Ex-Husband – Burial exposes family wounds
The death of beloved gospel singer Bunmi Akinaanu, known as Omije Ojumi, on January 12, 2026, tragically reopened painful marital wounds between her family and ex-husband Rotimi Adeoye.
During her service of songs on January 28, the late singer's daughter delivered an emotional tribute describing her mother as a devoted parent who singlehandedly raised her children after their father allegedly abandoned them.
Drama exploded during the burial when Rotimi Adeoye attempted to speak with his children through a video call. Heated confrontations erupted between the two families at the cemetery.
Following the chaos, Rotimi Adeoye publicly defended himself, insisting he was never an absent father.
He alleged that after their divorce, Omije Ojumi deliberately destroyed his relationship with the children by relocating them, blocking contact, and feeding them false narratives.
He claimed that he continued sending financial support but eventually stopped due to alleged insults from the late singer.
Rotimi maintained that the burial confrontation forced him to speak publicly, expressing his readiness to rebuild his relationship with his children.
Source: Instagram
5. Peggy Ovire vs Frederick Leonard – Has the marriage ended?
Speculation about trouble in Peggy Ovire and Frederick Leonard's marriage has been building up steadily since a few months after their November 2022 wedding.
The speculation grew in October 2024 when Frederick failed to publicly celebrate Peggy's birthday, though he later dismissed marital crisis reports.
Fresh concerns exploded in late 2025 when filmmaker Stanley Ontop alleged that the couple's union had collapsed, describing it as an arranged marriage that broke down due to violent tendencies, calling them “two violent people”.
Fans grew concerned when Peggy began appearing publicly without her wedding ring. She also posted a solo Christmas photoshoot and locked the comment section after followers questioned her husband's absence.
Source: Instagram
Social media speculations grew more convincing when Peggy removed “Leonard” from her Instagram profile, reverting to Peggy Ovire.
The situation reached a breaking point in early February 2026 when Peggy shared a cryptic post asking women how they would react if they discovered their husband was having an affair with a married woman.
Though she didn’t mention names, netizens quickly linked the post to Frederick.
Additional allegations surfaced from a content creator claiming Frederick had asked Peggy to leave their home despite therapy attempts.
With rings off, cryptic posts, and swirling allegations, their saga remains one of Nollywood’s most closely watched marital dramas.
Fans continue to speculate whether reconciliation is possible or if this union has truly reached its end.
Source: Instagram
Annie Macaulay finds love after breakup with 2Baba
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Annie Macaulay revealed she has found love again after sharing a Valentine’s Day surprise from her new partner.
The actress separated from her husband, 2Baba, in 2025, and he later married Natasha, with whom he now has a daughter.
Annie’s new lover surprised her with gifts, including roses, balloons, an iPhone, and a teddy bear, which were arranged in her living room. She expressed gratitude for the thoughtful gesture, noting that love is often shown through small, meaningful acts.
Source: Legit.ng
