Temi Ajibade, daughter of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, has said her decision to take her husband’s name was a personal choice.
The actress, who recently updated her social media bio to Temi Ajibade after marrying Afrobeats singer Mr Eazi, stated this during an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.
“I’m now a married woman, the obvious thing for me is to take my husband’s name. But it’s my personal choice. I respect everybody’s personal choice. It’s what I’m comfortable and happy doing, but I also respect a woman’s ability to choose,” she said.
She explained that keeping her relationship and marriage details away from public attention allowed her to control her own story.
“I think it’s more about owning your own narrative. There’s something about moving in silence that allows you to have certain control over things. It allows you to build the narrative you want and share when you feel ready to share, and in the way you want to share it,” she added.
On her father’s recently published book, Temi said it provided clarity on his decades-long journey in business and life.
“My dad has a wealth of wisdom and I’ve been very fortunate as his daughter to learn from him growing up. But I believe he thought it was time that the rest of the world also learn and understand his journey as an entrepreneur and as a businessman,” she said.
Temi admitted that growing up in privilege has given her an advantage, insisting she has never denied it.
“Oh, absolutely. You will never hear me on record saying it doesn’t. I think it’s very important for people who are privileged, especially people who are born into privilege, to acknowledge that leg up they’ve gotten in life,” she said.
She added that her father’s choice not to involve his children in his companies encouraged them to chart their own paths.
“Initially, I was disappointed because of course me and my sisters thought one of us would take after daddy. But it turned out to be a blessing because he encouraged us to forge our own paths,” she noted.
The actress also said her father’s resilience during difficult moments remains her biggest source of inspiration.
