Veteran Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly called Charly Boy, has disclosed that he embraced his two daughters’ choices to identify as lesbians, driven by his desire for their happiness.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday Beats, Charly Boy tackled the criticism sparked by his social media posts regarding his daughters and stood by his approach to parenting.
He clarified that love, along with his conviction that parents cannot dictate the lives of their grown children, had ultimately shaped how he responded to his children’s sexuality.
He said, “Get it clear, I actually have two daughters who are lesbians. My youngest daughter came out first, years ago, and my eldest daughter came out more recently. When my youngest daughter first told me, it was a hard pill to swallow initially because she hadn’t had children yet, whereas my older daughter had already built a family.
“I was trying to educate people that you have no control over the life of a 50-something-year-old woman. This is the same woman who gave me six grandchildren and a great-grandson. If she decides that she no longer likes men and prefers to be a lesbian, so be it. My only concern is for her to be happy.
“I don’t want to quarrel with my children if I can help it. As long as you’re not bothering me, asking me for money or having a sense of entitlement, it’s all about love.”
“And because I love my children deeply, I adapted quickly. I didn’t want to be an old-fashioned, rigid father; I wanted to be a supportive, open father. As long as they are standing on their own two feet and not asking me for money, their life is their life. At the end of the day, it all comes down to love.”
Speaking on if he felt bad about his two daughters identifying as lesbians, he said, “Yes and no. Yes, because I would have wished Dominique, like the older one, had her babies before she jumped into this, but she was never married before.”
Charly Boy said his approach to parenting had changed significantly, particularly with younger generations.
“As a parent, I’ve learned that with millennials and Gen Zs, you don’t tell them what to do; you can only advise them and try to get them to see the logical side of what you’re putting across for them to take, leave, or trash. The days of beating and commanding are gone and can’t come back.”
He also stated that his decision to speak openly about his family was consistent with his personality and the views expressed in his book, ‘999.’
He also spoke on his relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo; he described him as a friend and father figure.
He said, “We didn’t intentionally set out to build this kind of friendship. It was just something that happened naturally or organically. I’m enjoying it, just like he’s enjoying it. I like very sincere and open people, and he is one of such persons.
“We talk for three or four hours sometimes. You can start imagining what Charly Boy and Obasanjo would be talking about for three or four hours. We talk about religion a lot because I want to know where he stands in the scheme of things. When you hear us discussing in our private space, you’d think I’m talking to my age mate. I’m truly in love with that guy because he’s a correct person.”
He added, “Sometimes, I feel like he’s my father because he talks like my father and does things like my father. Anytime I’m trying to figure something out, I call him, and he helps me sort it out. For friendship, he’s there; for fatherhood, he’s there. We talk every day.”
