#ThrowBackThursday: Why Agbani Darego Kept Her Marriage A Secret
On April 9th 2017, Nigerians woke up to a big shock!
AGBANI DAREGO HAD GOTTEN MARRIED TO ISHAYA DANJUMA, SON OF TY DANJUMA, IN A SECRET CEREMONY IN MOROCCO!
Many of us were not even aware she was even engaged!
How did she manage to hide her relationship from the public, a move which is a clear anomaly for most celebrities?
At worst, celebrities keep their relationships a secret until they are engaged (e.g. Nigerians Golden Couple – Bubba and Susu). But Agbani was not having any of that: she got engaged and got married, and no one, apart from very close family and friends, even knew!
Since the wedding, I have wondered why Agbani chose to go the “private route”. My question was answered when I read our interview with Agbani in our May 2013 edition when she was our Cover Girl.
Here is an excerpt of the interview written by Ope Akinyemi:
Many celebrities usually carefully guide their privacy, but Agbani takes it to new heights. “I have my walls up. I won’t deny that. I am a really shy person,” she says. While other stars have openly discussed about their personal lives, Agbani’s fans are left to scour the internet for scraps of information.
Agbani’s discretion is likened to that of Beyonce, whose silence on private matters is legendary. And depending on who you ask, Agbani’s protection of her privacy is either a savvy move or a misstep in the delicate dance between the media and her fans.
Asked if she plans to settle down or start a family, Agbani gave a simple answer. “Marriage and family will come in its own time,” she says. Agbani tells me politely she isn’t willing to discuss further some very private matters even though she admits being in a relationship presently. She even refuses to reveal who the special man is.
“We are not talking about that,” she says frankly,
From the interview, it was clearly obvious that Agbani was insistent on not disclosing the identity of her “mystery man”. Our Editor in Chief, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, who conducted the interview, recalls that the most she could get out of Agbani was that the “mystery man” was from “the Northern part of Nigeria”.
From this information, it is safe to say that it seems that the mystery man is indeed Ishaya Danjuma!
From our interview with her, it is clear that Agbani draws a clear line between her personal life and the public, being the shy and private person she is. So clearly, it is no surprise that she was able to keep the identity of her husband a secret, until she got married.
And now that she is married, it seems that Agbani’s love for her privacy is not changing anytime soon. Agbani is currently flying all over the world on vacation with her husband, but she has not spoken about her relationship with him or even her secret marriage.
In today’s world, which is filled with overexposure of the good, bad and ugly details of celebrities’ private lives, Agbani Darego’s silence on these matters is refreshing.
You go Agbani!!!
And for those of you who want to know more about Agbani, we’ve got you covered! Here are ten facts about the gorgeous ex beauty queen that you may not find anywhere else!!
- Her full name is Ibiagbanisenibobo Darego. Ibiagbanisenibobo means “the precious one born with a basket of treasures.”
- Though she is so so gorgeous, can you believe that Agbani was teased in high school for being tall and gawky!
- Agbani entered into the world of pageants by accident! One day, while visiting her cousins in Lagos, Agbani met the pageant manager for the MBGN (Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria), Joan Ibuzor, who convinced her to go for the MBGN We all know this ended with her being crowned MBGN 2001. Talk about beautiful accidents!
- Before Agbani won the Miss World Pageant, she represented Nigeria in the Miss Universe Pageant held in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where she placed among the top 10 finalists. And guess what: she was the only black semi-finalist that year!
- Agbani is one strong lady. Unlike most winners of the Miss World crown, Agbani did not shed any tears. Instead she maintained her composure and dedicated the crown to her late mother.
- After her reign as Miss World, Agbani moved to the United States where she worked as a model with big brands such as Loreal, Sephora, Dior, Avon, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar De Larenta, Gentle Touch and Arik Air.
- Despite her thriving modelling career at the time, Agbani did not forget her education. She graduated with a degree in Psychology from the New York University (NYU) and she even made the Dean’s list a number of times. Talk about Beauty and Brains!!
- Though she has a slim physique, Agbani is all about healthy eating balanced with exercise. She avoids the pressure to be perfect and she is saddened by the fact that a lot of teenage girls are constantly feeling the pressure to be thin.
- Agbani does not have best friends. Even though she likes hanging out with her friends and family, she enjoys staying alone at home, reading autobiographies.
- A great cook. Agbani’s favourite meal is Amala with Gbegiri and Ewedu.
What are your thoughts?
Do you like Agbani’s love for her privacy or do you wish she would open up more?
Let us know!
Photo Credit: Agbani Darego’s Instagram
