Veteran Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has once again proven she’s unafraid to stir the pot, this time unleashing a blistering takedown of women who become second wives, branding them outright as “witches” driven by greed and jealousy. The 78-year-old screen icon’s latest social media sermon, posted on Instagram Sunday, has exploded online, dividing fans and fueling heated debates on marriage, morality, and modern relationships.
In a video clip shared to her page—captioned as a “sermon on taking what does not belong to you”—Edochie amplified a pastor’s scathing rant against polygamy’s “side attractions.” The cleric didn’t hold back: “All the people who have become second wives are all greedy people. Very jealous! Witchcraft is driving them! You are a witch to be marrying somebody’s husband when you know the man is already married!” Edochie, aligning herself fully with the message, elaborated in her post: “If you are a second wife, you are nothing but a w!tch. Do not call it destiny, it is covetousness. You stole what was not yours, and you expect to be celebrated? Never. A second wife is not a queen. She is a usurper. You are the thief that slipped into another woman’s home pretending to be a bride.”
The post, which has racked up thousands of views and reactions within hours, comes amid Edochie’s long-standing advocacy for marital fidelity, particularly in the wake of her nephew Yul Edochie’s high-profile polygamy drama. Since Yul introduced actress Judy Austin as his second wife in 2023—while still legally married to first wife May—Rita has been a vocal defender of May, repeatedly shading Judy as a “homewrecker” and urging women to shun such unions. Her latest outburst echoes earlier jabs, like a January 2025 Instagram tirade where she mocked a woman giving marriage advice after becoming a second wife herself, calling her a “Juju Wh0restin” unfit to counsel anyone.
Social media erupted in response. Supporters hailed Edochie’s words as “truth bombs,” with one X user posting: “Rita Edochie speaking the gospel! Second wives didn’t plan to be queens—they’re just thieves in tiaras.” Others, however, pushed back hard, accusing her of hypocrisy and oversimplification. “Not all second wives knew from the jump—some men lie! Why blame the women alone?” tweeted Maxwell Tega, sparking a thread of similar defenses. Critics also pointed to cultural contexts where polygamy is normalized, with one commenter quipping, “Aunty Rita, in some homes, the first wife is the witch for not sharing. Times dey change!” The discourse has trended under hashtags like #RitaVsSecondWives and #WitchOrQueen, blending humor, scripture quotes, and personal testimonies.
Edochie, undeterred, wrapped her post with a Sunday blessing: “Still on still happy Sunday great lovers of Rita Edochie. Today’s sermon was on taking what does not belong to you.” Her stance resonates deeply in Nigeria’s conservative entertainment circles, where celebrity marriages often mirror national conversations on fidelity amid rising divorce rates and “smallie” scandals.
As the backlash—and applause—continues to pour in, one thing’s clear: Rita Edochie isn’t just acting the part of a moral firebrand; she’s living it, one viral post at a time. Whether this latest salvo heals hearts or breaks more remains to be seen—but expect the “witches” debate to brew well into the week.