Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Olu Jacobs that I married no longer there: Joke Silva

Sylva said they had questioned Jacobs’ behaviour at the early stage of the ailment until his condition deteriorated.

• July 2, 2023
Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva
Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva [Credit: The Guardian Nigeria]

Nollywood actress Joke Silva says her husband, Olu Jacobs, who she married 37 years ago, is “no longer there”, but she still loves him.

In a recent interview with TV presenter Nancy Isime, Silva opened up on coping with her 80-year-old husband, who has dementia. 

She admitted her struggles, saying, “It hasn’t been easy.

“It’s almost as if the person you married 80 per cent of the time is no longer there.

“But the thing is this when he was there, he was an amazing man; my husband is an incredible father to his children and an amazing husband, he was practically my best friend. I could share anything with him.”

Sylva said they had questioned Jacobs’ behaviour at the early stage of the ailment until his condition deteriorated.

“I always used to ball my eyes out, and then there came the point of acceptance,” she said. 

The actress further revealed that her husband’s condition makes her feel like she is looking after her father as she now loves Jacobs “differently”.

“So in this journey now, it’s like I am looking after my father, that’s the way it is because the husband I knew is no longer there, but this man that is here is somebody that I still love but love in a different way,” she added.

Asides from being veterans in the Nigerian movie industry, the Nollywood love birds have won the hearts of many for their successful marriage. 

Their union produced two children.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Federal Road Safety Corps

States

FRSC records 25% reduction in Osun road crashes

The Gbongan unit command of the FRSC in Osun State reported a 25 per cent reduction in road crashes between January and August.

Economy

APM Terminals signs MoU to develop Badagry deep seaport

Mr Clerc said the proposed Badagry project would provide additional deep-water capacity for larger container vessels and create new transhipment opportunities for Nigeria.

CLEEN Foundation

States

CLEEN foundation seeks improved gender-responsive policies in Kaduna

Mr Maduoma said the dialogue was designed as a policy-to-practice platform rather than a conventional awareness-raising meeting.

PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Economy

Tinubu urges banks to translate capital into productive investment, employment

The president said that the government would continue to create space for more private sector credit.

AfDB

Africa

AfDB launches $5.1 billion emergency plan to ease Africa’s energy, fertiliser crises

Mr Kamara said, “A crisis response must do more than cushion the shock.”

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals

Economy

Refinery’s IPO is for Nigerians, anyone with BVN can participate, says Dangote 

Mr Dangote reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency, strong corporate governance, and sustainable shareholder value.