Table of Contents
- Victoria Inyama, a Nigerian actress based in the UK, hates Manchester United
- She was tortured emotionally and physically by her husband whenever the team lost
- She divorced him in 2013
UK-based Nigerian actress Victoria Inyama has no place in her heart for Manchester United.
The Red Devils, Chelsea and Arsenal are the top three most popular English Premier League teams in Nigeria. However, the celebrated Nigerian actress shivers at the mention of a Manchester United match.
Why Victoria Inyama Hates Manchester United
In a past narration to media personality Chude Jideonwo, Victoria Inyama opened up on why she is bitter with Old Trafford for many years.mncheAccording to the Nigerian, this Premier League team reminds her of the physical abuse it always brought her while married to her now estranged husband, Goodwin Okri.
Okri was a staunch supporter of Manchester United, but he took his love for the Red Devils and football to dangerous levels. He became physically abusive every time his team lost.
UK-based Nigerian actress Victoria Inyama. Photo/Kelechi Uhegwu
“I really dislike Manchester United. The beatings I took because of their losses were unreal. Even now, where there’s a Match and they lose, I think ‘thank goodness, today I dodged a beating.’ My son even laughs about it,” she stated in the interview.
It never ended her. She recalls that their TV set would always be punched whenever the team lost a match. Any opinion was met with a rude response.
She would often be questioned whether her father ever bought a TV in their house for her to speak against Okri punching their TV.
Joy in Manchester United Losses
Nothing gives Victoria Inyama joy today more than seeing Old Trafford lose a match. She says that it reminds her of the beatings she would have gotten if she was still married to Okri, a barrister in the UK.
Her son always reminds her of this amid laughter that she would be nursing the pain of a beating by his father over Manchester Utd’s loss.
Old Trafford in Manchester. Photo/Wikipedia
Broken Marriage
She says that leaving her abusive marriage was a tough decision. Inyama explained that her brand as an actress kept her with Okri because she was afraid that her brand would suffer from reports of separation.
Okri used her fear to manipulate and treat her inhumanely. He would remind her that she is an actress of big repute and leaving her marriage would only turn off her fans.
Her ex-husband would also tell her that speaking to people about her marital woes would only hurt her image as an actress. This stopped Victoria Inyama from seeking help psychologically and socially.
She kept it all to herself and hoped that her ex-husband would change. However, anytime she spoke to him about being a better husband, he would change to ‘beast.’ Her pleas for an end to emotional and physical abuse fell on deaf ears. Beatings intensified, and emotional torture became the new norm in their home.
Nigerian actress Victoria Inyama based in the UK. Photo/Mybiohub2/Instagram
It hurt her that she left Nigeria, where she had a fulfilling career as an actress, to follow her husband to the UK. Her saddest memory besides the domestic abuse over Manchester United losses was several incidents where her ex-husband brought his mistress to their home in her [Victoria’s] presence.
After years of torture, she surrendered and chose separation in 2013. She was at a point in life where she had given up, and peace was all she longed for. She also realised that people never cared much about her separation, as Okri had always told her.
Her personal life flourished because she found her emotional footing once more and started her journey to inner healing. Irked by her healing and moving on, Okri used their kids to get back at her, which interfered with her mental well-being. She moved to court in 2019 seeking full custody of their two children.
An abusive marriage inspired Victoria Inyama to pursue psychology studies as a part of her inner healing and to help other victims of abuse. She is happy that there is a lot that has changed in her life with her studies, but nothing will change how she feels about Manchester United.
