Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo has shared a personal story about her marriage.

According to her, she was married at 19 through an arrangement made by her parents.

The actress's revelation was shared via a verified X account named Igbo History and Fact.

“Marriage found me at just 19. It wasn’t my choice; my parents arranged it. At first, I was scared. I didn’t know how to love a man I didn’t choose.”

Ozokwo explained that with time, love grew between them, and they spent 23 years together as husband and wife.

She revealed that her husband was ill for 15 years before he passed away in 2000.

She said they had three children together and that she later adopted five more, though one of the adopted children died. She added that she now has seven children.

“But as time passed, love grew. We spent 23 years together. He was sick for 15 of those years, and in 2000, he passed away.

“We had three beautiful children, and I adopted five more. One of them died, so I now have seven,” she said.

The actress said she never remarried after losing her husband, choosing instead to focus on raising her children.

Reflecting on marriage today, Ozokwo said people now spend too much time trying to fix themselves, yet many marriages still fail.

She noted that in her time, marriages arranged by parents were treated with commitment and endurance.

She added that she raised her children with strong values, encouraging respect and responsibility, which she believes helped her build a stable home despite challenges.

“I have told my children never to think of divorce. I raised my daughters to be respectful and my sons to be responsible. That is how I built a strong home through hardship, love, respect, and sacrifice,” she concluded.