Nollywood actress, Esther Nwachukwu has made several claims about her late colleague, Junior Pope and his wife.
In an interview with Punch, Esther Nwachukwu said that while Junior Pope was alive, his wife caused him a lot of distress, which he confided in her about when they were dating.
The actress claimed that Junior Pope often put on a facade for social media, portraying a happy family life despite their issues.
She noted that he stopped posting pictures of his wife from December 2023, indicating the start of their problems, and often stayed in hotels instead of at home.
Esther suggested that Junior Pope’s public image as a good husband made it hard for him to admit his personal troubles, leading him to suffer in silence.
She said, “When Junior Pope was alive, the wife never gave him peace. She disturbed him a lot.
“I actually dated Junior Pope, and I still have his name tattooed on my body. While we were together (dating), he told me how his wife used to disturb him.
But, one thing about him is that he likes to trend. He would be going through a lot, but would still come on social media to post (pictures and videos of) his family.
“From December 2023, he stopped posting (pictures of) his wife like before. That was when they started having issues. Sometimes, he wouldn’t sleep in his house, but would rather stay in hotels.
“I am sure some people who were close to him knew about it. But, because he had painted himself as a good husband online, he did not know how to tell people about his issues. That was why he died in silence.”
The actress also criticized Junior Pope wife’s behavior after his death, implying that she was not truly grieving and was more concerned with appearances.
She said, “A grieving wife wouldn’t have come out barely two months after the death of her husband.
“She came out and acted like all was well, and because many Nigerians like eye service, she decided to dress in black, so people would think she was mourning.
“A young widow is not supposed to just go about her business like that. We all know she isn’t hungry, because there is money.
“Nigerians are good at sympathising with people, and I know they must have helped her in so many ways.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Junior Pope died at age of 39 in a boat accident on April 10, after attempts to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful.