Veteran Nollywood actor Patrick Doyle has dismissed the notion that his ex-wife, Ireti Doyle, is more popular than he is, asserting that he was already a public figure long before she rose to fame.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Muvmnt Studio, Doyle responded strongly when asked how he felt about the perception that his former wife was more famous.
“I have been popular since I was 16. How long has she been around? I have been around for 45 years and I’m still around,” he said. “I was a superstar at the age of 16; a champion debater. I debated against Yemi Osinbajo.”
He argued that Ireti’s decision to retain his surname after their divorce was proof of his stronger legacy and public relevance.
“I can never be defined by her. My body of work is too solid to be defined by any human being, living or dead,” he said. “Why is the name Doyle popular? Why didn’t she revert and change her name at the end of the marriage?”
Patrick Doyle and Iretiola Doyle got married in 1999 after he lost his first wife to complications from sickle cell anemia. The pair confirmed their divorce in 2023.