Flashback: Why I Kept Maiden Name Despite Marrying Olu Jacobs – Joke Silva
Flashback: Why I Kept Maiden Name Despite Marrying Olu Jacobs – Joke Silva
Following the death of veteran actor Olu Jacobs at 84 on Wednesday, a 2025 interview in which his wife, actress Joke Silva, had revealed how her husband, Olu Jacobs, advised her to retain her maiden name after their marriage to protect the professional brand she had already established, has resurfaced.
Silva made the revelation while speaking on Stephen Akintayo’s Leadership podcast, where she reflected on her marriage to the veteran actor and the 19-year age difference between them.
According to Silva, in the video from in April last year, Jacobs recognised that she had begun building a reputation in the entertainment industry before they met and believed changing her name could affect her growing career.
“He (Jacobs) was the one who advised that I do not change my name,” she explained.
“Because he understood the importance of branding, he said my brand had started building before we met, and changing the brand could cause problems for me. We kept the name Joke Silva as the brand, and within the circle, there was nobody who did not know I was Mrs. Jacobs.”
READ ALSO: President Tinubu Mourns Veteran Nollywood Actor Olu Jacobs
Silva said Jacobs’ advice reflected his understanding of the importance of maintaining a professional identity, while allowing their marriage to remain known within their social and professional circles.
The actress also recounted how their relationship started, saying she initially approached Jacobs for guidance at the early stage of her career.
She said Jacobs, who was already an established actor at the time, encouraged her to pursue formal training in drama. Their professional relationship, she added, gradually developed into a romantic one.
Silva said she eventually married Jacobs in 1985 because she was deeply in love with him, despite their significant age difference.
“I was 24, we got married in 1985. He was 19 or 20 years older than me. (I accepted because) I was in love with him. It is as simple as that. He was just a very gorgeous person.
“I remember one of my sisters, when she was home, I think it was 1984, and I had come back home. We met, and she called me aside and said, ‘Joke, this is the man to take to Daddy.’ That was Toyin Olawoye.
“My dad had issues with the fact that he was older, but my mum was like. This is the person they know me with. And her parents had that kind of age gap as well. So it was no big deal”, she said.
Silva said her father initially had reservations about the age difference, while her mother was more accepting of the relationship, partly because her own parents had a similar age gap.
The actress credited Jacobs’ foresight and support with helping her navigate both her personal life and professional career while maintaining the identity she had built in the entertainment industry.
TVC News had earlier reported that Veteran actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, passed away on Wednesday, September 16, at the age of 84.
His son, Olusoji Jacobs, announced his death in a post on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, saying the family was grateful for his life and asking the public to respect their privacy.
