Veteran Nigerian actor and filmmaker Fred Amata has publicly criticized his ex-wife, Agatha Amata, for marrying off their daughter, Stephanie, without his consent or involvement. Agatha, renowned for her long-running talk show Inside Out with Agatha and her role as the CEO of RaveTV and Trend FM100.9, finalized her divorce from Fred in 2005. While the divorce was initially described as amicable, Fred’s recent accusations have brought lingering tensions to light.
Fred Amata took to social media to express his disappointment after missing his daughter’s wedding, which took place in the UK. He revealed his disbelief that Agatha, rather than himself, walked Stephanie down the aisle—an act he referred to as a cultural violation. In a passionate post, Amata condemned his ex-wife’s actions as an “abomination,” stating that it is against traditional norms for a mother to give her child away in marriage when the father is alive and willing.
He wrote, “It is an abomination in our culture for a mother to take on the father’s role in giving a daughter away, especially when the father is present and able. This is taboo, nowhere in Africa or Delta State would this be accepted.”
Amata further claimed that despite being in London at the time of the ceremony and having given his blessing to the marriage, the event was concealed from him. He questioned what could have driven his ex-wife to exclude him from such a significant moment in their daughter’s life. “What kind of malice would lead a mother to manipulate and deceive her daughter and her husband to exclude the father from the wedding?” he asked.
The couple, who share two children, Oreva and Stephanie, had reunited earlier for their son’s traditional wedding in Lagos in June 2023. However, Fred was absent from Stephanie’s white wedding in the U.S. in May of the same year. His social media post indicated that this latest incident has rekindled old issues between the former couple.
In his extended statement, Fred Amata also revisited their shared history, claiming that he was the original creator of Inside Out with Agatha, which became a hit television show and one of Nigeria’s longest-running talk shows. He accused Agatha of using the success of the program to overshadow his achievements and damage his reputation since their divorce. He claimed that he sacrificed his own professional goals, including a leadership position with the Directors Guild of Nigeria, to ensure the success of Inside Out, which he described as his brainchild.
“I poured my heart, soul, and creativity into making Inside Out a success,” Amata wrote. “It was my vision, my concept, and my hard work that built the show into what it became. I never imagined that its success would drive a wedge into our marriage.”
Amata alleged that the success of the program became the foundation of Agatha’s financial independence and that she has used it to build her own empire while sidelining him. He further claimed that the proceeds from the show were initially intended to support their children, but that Agatha’s growing wealth and influence had led her to malign his name for her personal gain.
“She has built an empire with Inside Out—my creation—yet refuses to give me any credit,” Amata added. “For 20 years, I have remained silent, hoping the situation would heal, but I can no longer stay quiet.”
Despite the gravity of Amata’s accusations, Agatha has not publicly responded to the claims. Her recent social media post announcing Stephanie’s wedding included a video of the ceremony but made no mention of her ex-husband’s absence or the controversy surrounding it.
