Nollywood

Juliana Olayode: Wanting Marriage Doesn’t Make Women Desperate

Published on September 29, 2026

Juliana Olayode defends women who desire marriage, saying wanting a husband does not make a woman desperate or diminish her ambitions

Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode has defended women who desire marriage, saying on Monday, September 29, 2026, that wanting to become a wife does not make a woman desperate or without purpose.

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Olayode made the remarks in a post shared on her Instagram page, where she argued that women should be allowed to make personal choices about marriage without being subjected to criticism or ridicule.

The actress said women who are content with single life should be respected, but the same freedom should be extended to women who genuinely hope to marry.

According to Olayode, excitement about marriage should not automatically be interpreted as desperation.

“Wanting to get married is not a personality disorder,” she wrote.

She argued that a woman’s desire for marriage does not cancel out her ambitions, achievements, faith, career or other areas of personal fulfilment.

Olayode acknowledged that marriage can come with difficulties and that some unions end painfully. However, she noted that many people still consider marriage a meaningful and beautiful partnership and continue to hope to experience it.

The actress also recalled an encounter at a salon, where she overheard women criticising another woman for openly expressing her desire to get married.

Olayode said she joined the conversation and offered her own perspective on the subject.

She later found humour in the discussion after coming across a “BRIDE” swimsuit that a friend had given her in 2024. The discovery, she suggested, made the conversation particularly amusing in retrospect.

For Olayode, the broader issue is about allowing women to define fulfilment for themselves rather than imposing a single standard on them.

She said a woman may choose to prioritise faith, purpose, career, financial independence, friendships, family or marriage, and none of those choices should automatically be treated as evidence of inadequacy.

The actress also drew a distinction between choosing not to marry and wanting to marry.

While she said women should be free to decide that marriage is not for them, she maintained that women who want to an ongoing public conversation about marriage, independence and the expectations placed on women, husbands should not be shamed for expressing that desire.

Her comments add to an ongoing public conversation about marriage, independence and the expectations placed on women, particularly in Nigerian society.

Rather than presenting marriage as a compulsory milestone, Olayode’s message centred on personal choice and the importance of allowing women to pursue different forms of fulfilment.