I flushed my engagement ring inside the toilet and I am happy" - Benita Nzeribe

During the 90’s and the past decade, Benita Nzeribe called
the shots and made her name in households of
Nollywoood lovers, eliciting affection and an urge for other
prospective artistes to emulate her success.
But for the last couple of years, her high pedestal rise has
suddenly fizzled out and her face is a rarity in current
movies. Along with other peddled allegations, Benita
reveals what has been panning out in her life plus her plans
for the future in the interview below:
How do you feel about incessant marriage crashes in
the industry?
I don’t like it when people attribute marriage crashes to
Nollywood, we are human beings and the fact that one’s
marriage crashes is not because she is an actress. For
crying out loud, we have doctors, lawyers, bankers, among
others, that are facing similar thing and nobody is blowing
them up. I try to make people believe that there are many
stars that are still enjoying their marriages. Nobody is
happy to have a break up because there was love before
the marriage. Even the media is not helping matter; you are
an actress and you lodge in a hotel with Mr. A or Mr. B,
then someone will see you and go back and write what he
feels about you, knowing well that nothing exist between
you and the Mr. A. When you write all these things, even if
the husband would understand, what about his family
members? Would they also understand? And most times
people take the movie roles one plays to be the person’s
real self and the press still worsen it by writing something
negative about you. It’s not fair. It hurts! We are decent
human beings with consciences contrary to opinions about
us, especially as prejudiced in the media.
Talking about love, do you believe in it?
Yes I do, I really do believe in love but I don’t like talking
about love because it is a foul cry in this area. Love is
something you can’t even control, it’s something beyond
definition. It’s something that accepts you the way you are –
both your good and bad aspects.
How does it feel to be heartbroken?
That is what I am saying, maybe what they call love is an
extreme form of likeness. It really hurts to be heartbroken;
at times it would look as if the entire world has forsaken
you.
Share your heartbreak experience with us?
It has been overblown in the past and I have moved on with
my life. It’s been over blown that I flushed my engagement
ring inside the toilet. I am happy now. I made a mistake
and that was in the past.
But did you actually flush your engagement ring inside
the toilet?
Yes I did. I was in a relationship and it crumbled. So I did
and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I have since then
moved on with my life.
What did you learn from that heartbreak experience?
I learnt to be careful and not to trust any man again. Most
men are not what you may think they are ; they may fail you
but God will never fail you.
Do you think lesbianism has really spread and affected
Nollywood?
I don’t have the facts about the existence of such in the
industry and nobody has approached me and nobody will
think about that. You don’t just see any woman and you
walk up to her for such act; I believe there are tendencies
that ignites them, if you say there are lesbians in
Nollywood tell me who are involved. Tell me!
When was your most depressed moment?
That was when my relationship crumbled and that was long
time ago and when I lost money in business – big money
and I learnt from it not to trust anybody in business. I don’t
trust people when it comes to money. No matter who you
are, when it comes to business, I will not trust you.
Share your most embarrassing moment as an actress
with us?
That was in a supermarket where I went for shopping.
Something fell from a woman’s shopping bag and I picked
it for her but she turned against me and said: You! So you
can be nice like this! I said “Ma, what do you mean?” She
replied by asking me: “Do you know how much I hated
you?” In the end, I told her to try and watch the movies
where I played good roles after which I know she would
stop hating me. The Second one was in an airplane. A
woman just walked up to me and said: I hate you. I asked
why and she said: it’s because my husband loves you. All
those things you do…taking peoples husbands and
wearing those useless things”. I protested, “ Madam I was
paid to do that. My director asked me to do it I didn’t just
do it!” At the end, she became my friend.
What is your view about acting n*u*d*e?
I don’t judge people who do it but as for me I cannot
because I am an African woman, I am an Igbo girl and I
don’t have the guts to act n*u*d*e. I can show you all the
cleavages by wearing skimpy wears but I can’t go n*u*d*e.
Skimpy wears, fine. I have respect for myself as a woman.
Where are you seeing yourself in five years time?
I expect to be high up there.
And probably in a man’s house by then?
Definitely I will be in a man’s house.
When exactly?
I will marry very soon and I don’t want to talk about it.
Don’t worry, when the time comes I will give you notice!
Talking about marriage who is your ideal man?
I want a man that is complete. A man that will understand,
respect and love me. That is my idea of a real man.