Charly Boy Defends Daughter’s Engagement: ‘Who Can Tell a 50-Year-Old Woman How to Live?’

Veteran Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy or Area Fada, has strongly defended his daughter Adaeze’s recent engagement to a female partner after the announcement triggered widespread criticism online

On Thursday, 17 September 2026, Charly Boy shared a video from the engagement ceremony on Instagram, describing the couple as his “beautiful Princess and her Husband” and urging followers to “wish dem well for me.” Adaeze also posted her own announcement with the caption “WE’RE ENGAGED!” and the hashtag #mrsandmrsgray2027, expressing excitement about a future of “love, laughter, growth, and making beautiful memories together.”

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The posts quickly drew mixed but largely negative reactions on social media. Many Nigerians condemned the same-sex union, citing cultural and traditional values, with comments ranging from outright rejection to calls for the couple to “retrace their steps.”

Same-sex relationships remain criminalised and heavily stigmatised in Nigeria, amplifying the backlash.

Responding to the criticism in a subsequent post, Charly Boy pushed back firmly. “How you wan tell 50-year-old woman how to live her life? At that age, she don already live enough life to know herself,” he wrote. He emphasised that while he can advise as a father and share his opinion, he has no right to control another adult.

“As a father, I fit advise. I fit talk my mind. But I no get remote control for another adult’s life.”

Charly Boy noted that Adaeze has given him five grandchildren and a great-grandson, and that she will always remain his daughter regardless of her choices. He revealed she had previously been in a marriage where she “see pepper” before leaving it and entering her current relationship. “I no fit choose her happiness for her. My own father couldn’t stop me from becoming Charlyboy, the man I wanted to become. So who am I to stand in front of my daughter and try to control the life she has chosen for herself?”

He concluded by stressing that everyone deserves the freedom to pursue their own happiness: “I wish her happiness. I wish everybody happiness. At the end of the day, na love remain. Make everybody live their truth and find their own happiness.”

Adaeze, who was previously married to a man in a traditional wedding in Abuja in 2018 that later ended in divorce, has built a life that includes multiple children. Charly Boy’s defence aligns with his long-standing reputation as an outspoken progressive figure who has previously addressed family matters publicly, including past discussions around another daughter’s sexuality.

The episode has once again highlighted the tensions between personal autonomy, family loyalty, and prevailing social norms in Nigeria. Charly Boy’s message remains clear: at 50, with a full life already lived, his daughter is free to chart her own path.