Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo has shared a deeply personal account of how she entered marriage as a teenager through an arrangement made by her parents — a journey that began with fear but later blossomed into lasting love.

The celebrated actress revealed that she was married at just 19, admitting the decision was not hers to make at the time.

“Marriage found me at 19. It wasn’t my choice; my parents arranged it. I was scared at first because I didn’t know how to love a man I didn’t choose,” she recounted in a post shared by the verified X account, Igbo History and Fact.

Ozokwo explained that as the years passed, affection and understanding grew between her and her husband, and they spent 23 years together as a couple.

However, much of their marriage was marked by hardship, as her husband battled illness for 15 years before passing away in 2000.

The actress disclosed that they had three biological children together and later adopted five more. Sadly, one of the adopted children died, leaving her with seven children whom she raised as a single mother.

“Love grew with time. We spent 23 years together. He was sick for 15 of those years before he died in 2000. We had three children and adopted five more — one passed on, so I now have seven,” she shared.

Patience Ozokwo added that she never remarried after her husband’s death, choosing instead to dedicate her life to raising her children and building a strong family foundation.

Reflecting on modern relationships, the veteran actress observed that despite people spending more time preparing themselves emotionally and financially for marriage today, many unions still struggle to survive.

She contrasted this with earlier generations where arranged marriages were sustained through patience, commitment, and sacrifice.

According to her, instilling strong values in her children was key to maintaining stability in her home.

“I taught my daughters to be respectful and my sons to be responsible. I always told them never to think of divorce. That’s how I built a strong home — through hardship, love, respect, and sacrifice,” Ozokwo concluded.