What began as one of Nollywood‘s most celebrated love stories has now descended into a very public and bitter legal battle, and actress Peggy Ovire is making sure the world knows every detail.
On Tuesday, the award-winning actress took to her Instagram Story, posting a video of her estranged husband, veteran actor Frederick Leonard, alongside a woman she alleges is his romantic partner, a detail made all the more scandalous by her claim that this woman is married with four children.
Ovire did not mince words. Describing the pair as “shameless lots,” the actress directed her message squarely at both Frederick and the unnamed woman, calling out what she characterizes as a deliberate pattern of deception and court evasion. “Married woman o, shameless lot,” she wrote, her tone equal parts fury and resolve.
At the heart of her public outburst is a divorce proceeding currently before a customary court, with the next hearing slated for June 23rd, a date Ovire is clearly preparing for with intent.
The actress accused Leonard of failing to appear personally at the first hearing, despite allegedly being the one who initiated the divorce, and instead sending legal representation in his place. For Ovire, that absence was not merely a legal technicality; it was a provocation.
“You said you wanted a divorce, yet you didn’t show up when you were served,” she stated pointedly, warning that she intends to arrive at the June 23rd sitting armed with evidence. “I’m coming with receipts,” she declared, urging that the matter be “done and dusted” so that Leonard and his alleged partner could “finally be together.”
She also described Leonard, who presents himself as a traditional Igbo man, as being romantically involved with another Igbo man’s wife, the mother of four children. In a society where such values carry deep moral weight, the accusation was clearly calculated to resonate far beyond the courtroom.
Ovire further alleged that the relationship had been disguised as friendship for years, with the woman reportedly having attended their wedding, a revelation that, if accurate, would paint a picture of extraordinary betrayal stretching back to the very beginning of their marriage.
The actress also hit back at what she described as a smear campaign. She alleged that Leonard had previously contacted a blogger to deny her accusations, but that once he was formally served and reviewed the specific details of her divorce petition, he realized the extent of what she had uncovered and chose to stay away from court rather than face it directly.
“You knew I had seen one out of many,” she wrote, a line that suggests the evidence in her possession goes well beyond what has already been made public.
The couple, who married in November 2022 in a widely celebrated ceremony, have seen their union become the subject of sustained public scrutiny since the wedding, with repeated cycles of cryptic social media posts and selective public appearances fueling speculation about the state of their relationship.
As of the time of this report, Frederick Leonard had not issued a direct public response to her allegations. The developments have since sparked widespread reactions on social media, with fans and observers closely following the unfolding saga.
All eyes now turn to June 23rd, when the Customary Court is expected to sit for the second time on the matter. If Peggy Ovire’s promises are anything to go by, the hearing may prove to be far more revealing than the first.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nollywood actress Peggy Ovire has publicly exposed her estranged husband, Frederick Leonard, accusing him of carrying on an affair with a married mother of four while simultaneously stalling their divorce proceedings.
Despite allegedly being the one who sought the divorce, Leonard skipped the first court hearing and sent a lawyer in his place, a move Ovire clearly tolerated.
With the next customary court date set for June 23rd, she has issued an unambiguous warning: she is showing up with evidence, and she wants this marriage legally buried.
