Kunle Afolayan and his estranged wife, Tolu Afolayan, were a celebrity couple whose marriage was private for many years until news of infidelity and idolatry started making waves on the media. As a result, their marriage allegedly met its end in 2019 after being together for 12 years and 3 children. However, their separation remains speculation since neither Kunle nor Tolu has given an official statement about it.
Kunle has been in the limelight for many years for being a part of the Afolayan Dynasty, being the MD and CEO of Golden Effects Pictures and Kap Motion; he is an actor, director, and producer. Tolu, on the other hand, met her fame as a result of her marriage with Kunle. However, she is currently into high-end jewelry, clothing, and fashion accessories. While not as popular as her husband, Tolu is quite successful and known among the Afolayan circle. Even though their careers may be excelling, their marriage may be the opposite. Here’s all there is to know about the marriage, separation, and moving on of Kunle and Tolu.
Kunle And Tolulope Ofoworola Afolayan Tied The Knot in 2007
When they first met is unknown, but the duo has reportedly been an item earlier than 2005 when Kunle bagged a diploma from the New York Film Academy in Digital Film Making. In 2007, the two tied the knot in a ceremony that has remained within the family archives and went on to raise their children and build their careers.
The couple remained married for 12 years, share moments on social media, and keep their differences away from the media. The union of the award-winning producer, director, and actor Kunle and celebrity jeweler Tolu has been blessed with 3 children, with the 4th child being Kunle’s from a different relationship. Kunle has posted more pictures of his children between 2017-2021 online, sharing family time and creating memories. In their own ways, his children have reciprocated their father’s love and care by publicly appreciating his place in their lives.
Meet Their Children and What They’ve Been Up to Since Their Alleged Separation
Kunle’s First Child, Eyiyemi Afolayan, is a Model For Ire Clothing
Contrary to the popular opinion that Diekoloreoluwa David, aka Diekola, is the first child of Kunle, Eyiyemi is actually the first. She was born on September 11, 2005, a few months before Diekoloreoluwa. However, since she was born 2 years before Tolu and Kunle got married, there is no certainty if she was born by Tolu. Although Eyiyemi does not seem to be in the spotlight all that much, she has modeled for her father’s clothing line called Ire clothing many times.
Diekoloreoluwa David Afolayan is Kunle’s First Son and Reportedly Tolu’s Stepson
Popular as Diokola, he has also been nicknamed Adelove for his close resemblance to his paternal grandfather, the late legendary actor and filmmaker Adeyemi Afolayan, aka Adelove. He was born on November 6, 2005, barely two months after the birth of Eyiyemi. Currently, he is 18 years old.
He became popular in 2013 at the age of 8 when a source claimed that he is not the biological son of Kunle’s estranged wife, Tolu. The source further claimed that Diekoloreoluwa, also known as Diekola, has suffered ill-treatment from his father. Also, it was alleged that Diekola had to drop out of school for about 6 months while his father didn’t do anything about it. Nevertheless, all there is in the public space regarding Diekola’s maltreatment from his father, or negligence from his said stepmother is nothing but speculations.
In addition to how Diekola gained the media’s attention, he wrote a letter to an open letter to his father on his 15th birthday. The letter shared by Kunle on his Instagram page focused on how the young Afolayan appreciates his father for his listening ears and love, among others.
Darasimi Afolayan is Kunle’s Second Daughter and Third
Born on November 8 2006, Darasimi is at present 17 years old. She is the second daughter of Kunle. Like the other children of the family, other details about Darasimi remain private, except for her parents showing her off on social media. Like Eyiyemi, she models for her father’s clothing line, Ire Clothing.
Darimisire Afolayan is a Child Actor and a Former Intern at a Mechanic Workshop
On August 4, 2010, Darimisire Afolayan was born as the last child and second son of the Afolayan family. The 13-year-old Darimire came into the spotlight for playing the character Roti in a movie of the same title in 2017. The Psychological thriller film centers on the life of a couple, Kunle Afolayan and Kate Henshaw, who lost their child, Roti (Darimisire). However, the couple met with a boy, Juwon, who looks just like their late son. Daramisire gained massive positive remarks for playing the roles of Roti and Juwon excellently.
In 2019, the young Afolayan also played the role of Larondo in Mokalik (Mechanic). Lorando is the youngest in a mechanic workshop, and the movie also features Femi Adebayo, Simisola Ogunleye (Simi), Damilola Ogunsi, Halimat Adegbola, and Faith Afolabi, among others. In addition, Kunle enrolled Darimisire at a mechanic workshop at a local automobile repair shop in 2018.
How The Marriage of Tolu and Kunle Started Crashing
To the public, the marriage between Kunle and Tolu was a good one until in 2013, six years after they were married. It started with the allegation that Kunle was not taking good care of his son Diekola. This was the first time their marriage gained negative publicity, but it is still a mystery if it took a toll on their marriage.
However, more controversy came up after Kunle posted a throwback picture of himself during his Polytechnic days. As a caption, he mentioned that he has always been a ladies man as he was surrounded by female friends in the photo. This ladies’ man tag is a major finger that has pointed at the failed state of his relationship with his wife.
More so, Tolu, over the years, has raised allegations of her husband’s adultery with several women who even assist in financial sponsorship of some of his movies. She later added an allegation of the actor being idolatrous and feared her children getting wrangled into it at the time. But Kunle reiterated himself as a vibrant Yoruba man who trains his children to know their culture and origin.
However, 2019 revealed more truths on the martial breakdown between the once happy couple. A significant act that caught the attention of their followers and gave rise to conclusions on their marriage crashing was Kunle’s 45th birthday pictures which obviously had Tolu omitted on the 30th of September 2019. Thereafter, the 2020 Lagos Business School graduate was observed to change her name to “Aduke the Jeweler” on her social media while making a comeback with an enigmatic message on detoxifying personal space, forgiveness, and overall recovery from situations.
The month of August 2020 fetched more drama with reports from a source at the Nigerian Immigration Service revealing that while Tolu was renewing passports for herself and her son, Kunle sent a letter to the service stating that she be denied access to renew the passports. The source added that her identity was not known as the officer processing her requests could not link her to iconic filmmaker Kunle Afolayan until she had collected hers. She was then denied the collection of her son’s passport.
Why did Kunle Afolayan Divorce His Wife?
While a confirmation on whether or not the couple is legally divorced remains unknown, as at the time of putting this together. However, it is no longer a secret that Tolu packed out of the family house and is now living alone with reports that she is currently dating a wealthy Lagos man who reportedly bought her a car one week after she left Kunle. There are allegations that she was already in this relationship before leaving the marriage.
The reasons for the decision to go separate ways are enumerable but ultimately wrapped in the reports that it became a very hostile and tense atmosphere at the Afolayans. The major reasons revolved around irreconcilable differences and suspicions of infidelity on the part of both parties.
Kunle May Be Currently Single
Since his split from his wife Tolu, the multi-talented entertainer has been only posts pictures of himself with his children and occasionally photos of the children with their grandmother. For now, Kunle Afolayan is focused on his career, as he just added to his list of remarkable achievements a well-accepted film titled Citation in 2020. He also signed a deal with Netflix in March of 2021.