Mr. & Mrs Anekwe
Nollywood actor, Chet Anekwe, has been married to Rebekah, an American, for two years. The couple talk about their interracial marriage
How did you meet your wife?
Chet: I was a tutor at a kickboxing school in Brooklyn, New York, and we met at one of my classes. She attended my classes on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings and we became friends in no time.
How did the relationship develop?
Chet: We had mutual interests and had the same viewpoint on love and life. I loved to discuss with her. We spent and still spend hours talking about everything.
How did he propose?
Rebekah: He took me to Paris on a vacation, which we planned together but I did not see the proposal coming. We had a stopover in London and spent a night there. We got to France the next day and while we were enjoying the ambience, he proposed to me. He said he didn’t want to wake up in Paris and not be engaged to me.
Were you comfortable dating and finally getting married to someone in the limelight?
Rebekah: Yes, but that’s because he takes steps to make sure I am comfortable. Even at events where he is the compere, he does everything to make sure I’m comfortable.
How long did your courtship last?
Chet: We were together for three years before we wedded. We were basically inseparable while we courted.
At what point in the relationship did you realise that she would make a good wife?
Chet: A few months into our relationship, I visited her. We just sat on the front stoop of her house and spoke for hours. I didn’t go inside her home so, we didn’t get intimate. I admired her intelligence, and sense of humour. As I watched her, I told myself she is the woman for me. And I was totally right!
What did you find attractive?
Rebekah: I felt like I had known him for a long time. I found him to be very genuine and I felt comfortable opening up to him from the beginning. He is very sensitive to my feelings and he ensures that I am always comfortable, even if he is not. Till date, he still walks with me on the inside of the sidewalk and this is something he began to do when we were dating.
Chet: She is very gorgeous and has an amazing sense of humour. She makes me laugh all the time and reallyunderstands me. Some times more than I do myself.
Did her family members accept you?
Rebekah: I have visited Nigeria twice. The first time I did, I went to Abuja and later, I went to Lagos. It was a fun trip. Chet always says if he had taken me to Lagos first, I would never have gone back.
Chet: She had little or no preconceptions about Nigeria or Nigerians. She was also eager to discover and learn my culture. She was raised in a very open-minded family so, we concentrated on getting to know each other better. She has embraced all things Nigerian.
How do you contribute to the advancement of your spouse’s career?
Rebekah: We discuss potential projects and whether or not he should commit to filming. We both take an active role in facilitating the career goals of the other, and we make sure the decision to commit to any project is one that helps us attain those goals. Everyone wants to know how it feels to watch your husband in movies, or get interviewed on the red carpet. I enjoy watching him in movies and I’m always proud of him and his talents.
Chet: I am very supportive of her career. She is also an author, so I threw my weight behind her when we wrote her children’s book, Flicker. In fact, we moved to California from New York, to take advantage of a career opportunity for her.
Do you have access to each other’s phones and social media accounts?
Chet: Of course! In fact, my Facebook account is always available on our shared iMac. We both have iPhones with the fingerprint scan access, and we both have access to each other’s phones. There are no secrets between us. We know each other’s email, Facebook and Twitter passwords.
Rebekah: Yes, we have no secrets. He can open any of my social media accounts and my phone whenever he feels like. We share everything including our social media accounts.
How do you spend time together?
Chet: From lying on the bed just talking after a long day, to watching our favourite TV shows. We love watching good television shows and have standard date nights every week.We love to be active together. We played American football together, so sports, working out and physical activity are things we share. She is the longest, most consistent workout partner I have ever had.
Rebekah: I have seen all his movies that have opened or have premiered here in the USA. We do like to do the same things, we work out together, we watch movies, and we like being outside so we may take a walk or spend some time at the beach.
Do you operate a joint bank account?
Chet: Yes we do! We have two joint accounts, but we also have personal accounts. I think it is important that you maintain some personal space with respects to finance. She can use her account on anything she pleases, as the account is in her name and is hers alone.
Do you get jealous of your wife’s male admirers?
Chet: She is a beautiful woman, but she shows my pictures to anyone who cares to listen. That keeps them at bay.
How do you handle disagreements?
Chet: We respect each other and never personalise any disagreements. Each of us is quick to acknowledge when we are wrong.
Rebekah: We talk it out, make sure each has heard the other’s point and then we move on. We don’t stay upset with each other for long.
Do you help out with the household chores?
Chet: I am very domesticated; I make breakfast for her, do the laundry and clean. We are very intimate with each other. When we are at home, I massage her feet or have her rub my head. That way, whenever we disagree, we tend to make up very quickly so we can get back to the way we normally are.
Rebekah: He is an amazing husband who does more household chores than a lot of men, Nigerian or American. I am so very lucky to have him.
What pet names do you call each other?
Chet: I call her Butter. However, she doesn’t like when other people call her that. She always calls me babe.
How have you coped with his schedule and female fans?
Rebekah: When you marry the right person, there is no need to adjust. Life with him feels complete. He is rarely away from me more than a few weeks at a time, and we make an effort to talk every day. And as for his female fans, I celebrate them. They see the talent my husband has, and everyone I have ever met have been nice and welcoming to me.
Punch
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