Veteran Nollywood actress Idowu Philips, fondly known as Mama Rainbow, has revealed the emotional reason she decided never to remarry after losing her husband.

Speaking in an interview with actress Bimpe Akintunde, the 83-year-old movie icon shared how a painful experience with a suitor led her to make a lifelong vow to remain single.

According to Mama Rainbow, after her husband’s death, a man once expressed interest in marrying her. However, his reaction upon meeting her children changed everything.

“A man wanted to marry me when my husband died, but he ran away when he saw 11 kids with me,” she recalled. “He came to my house and saw the children eating with me. When I told him they were my children, he left and never came back.”

She said the incident deeply affected her, prompting her to vow never to remarry — a promise she has faithfully kept for decades.

“Since then, I decided never to get married again, and I have remained single,” she said.

Mama Rainbow lost her husband in 1984 and single-handedly raised her children while continuing her acting career.

Having started acting in the 1960s, she has featured in countless Yoruba and English-language films, becoming one of the most respected and beloved figures in the Nigerian film industry.

Her story stands as a testament to strength, motherhood, and unwavering commitment to family, earning her admiration across generations of Nollywood fans.