Yesterday Friday started off on a fairly good note and while everyone prepared for the usual pre-weekend turnup, we stumbled on the most unprecedented news of the week.

Nollywood sweetheart, Mercy Aigbe’s seven-year marriage had just crashed. There was no way to prepare for something like this. The reports claim her husband, Lanre Gentry had been physically abusing her for a while but last week was the final straw. He beat her up so bad she ended up in a hospital with a swollen, bloodied face and other severe injuries.

[Read also: Mercy Aigbe’s 7-year marriage crashes over domestic violence – Graphic images]

With the increasing spate of celebrity marriage splits and divorces in Nigeria’s entertainment/media space, one would have taken this news as just another addition to the long list. But this was received differently. The Gentry couple touted themselves on social media as inseparable and happily in love, or maybe we just assumed this and couldn’t see through the lies. As we were in utter shock, we decided to dig into the details that have emerged so far and thought to share some of them with you:

1. The marriage has been problematic for a while

According to reports, the couple had been facing issues since 2013. The news of an alleged battery made rounds but the couple shut them down and even made a video to diffuse the rumours.

2. There’s a third-party involved.

So from all the new reports so far, one strange name has been constant. There’s an Opemititi, who is being described as Mercy Aigbe’s close friend/adopted sister/protege. On her Instagram bio, she describes herself as a former model, former banker, chronic fashion addict, interior designer extraordinaire, simple and extremely kind and drama Q.

From what we hear, Opemititi is all these and one more, Mr Gentry’s side chic. Once Mercy Aigbe found out about the betrayal from both parties, she cut off her relationship with the lady and engaged her husband in a battle that eventually led to the end of their marriage.

3. Mercy is promiscuous?

It’s important that we raise the question again since this is the story her husband attempted to make us believe via a subliminal Instagram caption he has since deleted.

But according to a close family source that spoke to online magazine, The NET, Mercy’s whorish ways are the collective source of the problems in her marriage. This family member who willingly spilled these details has succeeded in making us believe until someone proves otherwise, that Mercy Aigbe had been living the runs girl life since before her marriage to Mr Gentry and did not quit even after matrimony.

This person even went on to add that some of Nigeria’s notable politicians are Mercy Aigbe’s biggest customers.

[Read more: Politicians have Mercy Aigbe on speed dial for sexual adventures]

4. Blame it on the recession

This close family source clarified that the interest in politicians and big men was not entirely Mercy’s choice. It was necessary to sustain her big girl personae and Mr Gentry’s hotel business was not booming as usual, thanks to the harsh economic situation in the country.

It was revealed that: “As of now, he (Mr Lanre Gentry) doesn’t have any business going on for him. How many wide-mouthed actresses can live with that type of hopelessness? The situation has gotten so bad that now Mercy can openly cavort with the politicians that have been on her case since“.

5. Their responses

Mercy Aigbe has responded to all these claims by sharing four unrelated Instagram posts once of which is a collage of three full photos where she looks as radiant and ravishing as ever. Caption?

#mercified???#childofgrace #unstoppable Goodmorning Fam ????

So maybe all of this is false?

Possible! Also if we have to consider the fact that the alleged abuser, Mr Gentry has publicly debunked the claims. See his comment: