Nollywood actress Regina Chukwu has shared the heartbreaking story of how she lost her husband to tuberculosis just three years into their marriage.
In a conversation with fellow actress Biola Bayo, Chukwu revealed that she got married while she was still a student in her early twenties. She had met her husband, who hailed from Anambra State, shortly after completing her secondary education.
Raised in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos, Chukwu explained that her husband developed tuberculosis as a result of internal complications from a previous accident. His health took a severe turn for the worse shortly after the birth of their second child.
In a desperate bid to save him, she traveled with him to his hometown, where he received treatment at a local clinic. Chukwu recounted that at one point, her husband, overwhelmed by the pain, pleaded with her to give him an injection to end his suffering.
Tragically, despite all efforts, he passed away at the young age of 28. She recalled the devastating moment when her father-in-law confirmed his death by dragging his lifeless body, declaring, “He is dead.” Chukwu said she fainted from shock and only regained consciousness the next day, by which time he had already been buried.
Following the funeral, her late husband’s family offered to help her settle in Enugu rather than return to Lagos. They promised to either find her a place to live or help her start a business.
Still Considered a Wife by Her Late Husband’s Family
Chukwu shared that, according to her in-laws’ tradition, she is still regarded as part of their family because her bride price was never returned. As a result, her first child was taken from her under the same cultural practice.
“To this day, I’m still considered their wife. I never officially divorced. If I were to remarry and my bride price was returned, then I would no longer be tied to them by that tradition,” she explained. “But as it stands now, if anything were to happen to me, I still belong to that family. That’s how the custom works.”
Career and Future Plans
Regina Chukwu has appeared in numerous films, including Okomi Ale Mi, Encounter, Setemi, Akun, Awolu at Awalu, Ewatomi, Idaho, and Ogunso. In 2022, she publicly announced that she was open to finding love again.
