Yeni Kuti, daughter of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has revealed that her late mother, Remilekun Anikulapo-Kuti, chose to remain celibate for two decades after walking away from her marriage to the music icon.
In an interview cited by Premium Times, Yeni recounted how her mother moved out of Fela’s house in 1981 and, until her death in 2002, never became involved with another man. “My mummy moved out of my father’s house in 1981, and she died in 2002. From 1981 till she died, she never met another man; she was celibate during that period. She got cancer in between and when the doctor asked why she wasn’t using it, she said, ‘Fela is the only man for me’,” she said.
Her remarks follow the posthumous release of Remilekun’s memoir, Mrs Kuti, which was published in January 2025 by Ouida Books. The book, completed with the input of her children including Yeni and Femi Kuti, tells her side of life with Fela, the struggles she endured as his wife, and the choices she made after leaving him.
Yeni’s disclosure sheds new light on the Kuti family story, portraying her mother as a woman of remarkable loyalty and resilience who, even after separating from Fela, held on to her devotion until the end of her life.
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