Nollywood actor Kunle Remi has opened up about a cultural clash in his marriage, saying his wife, Boluwatiwi “Tiwi” Oye, does not kneel for every elderly person she meets. He made the remarks on the VJ Adams Live podcast.
“My wife doesn’t even understand what kneeling down means. She can kneel down for her grandparents, her parents, but she can’t kneel down for every elderly person she sees. And I understand. But then again, we have to find a way to not be rude. So she doesn’t really get to the ground but she bends well and is very warm in her greeting,” Remi said.
The actor framed the habit as a matter of upbringing, not disrespect. He said families and cultures differ, and that people should ask why a custom exists instead of following it blindly.
“If you’re looking at foreigners, especially Americans, they actually don’t have any traditions per se. They’re very diverse. Europeans, Asians, and Indians have more traditions than America. Everything should be questioned. We shouldn’t just accept blindly. Questioning things has helped me a lot in life, even in my career. I’m not being difficult, just tell me the why.”
Kneeling or curtseying for elders is a familiar mark of respect in many Yoruba homes. Remi’s comments immediately stirred debate about how far that custom should travel once a couple comes from different social worlds.
In the same conversation, Remi spoke about how he found Tiwi. He called her his best friend and said he prayed for her before they met.
“My wife is my best friend. I prayed. My favourite prayer is: show me what I don’t know, teach me what I need to know, and help me work with you more. I don’t know how to ask for things. I was constantly speaking to God in my own moments. I told Him I was ready to take care of His daughter, the one He has assigned for me and is mine. I am not saying, ‘Give me a wife,’ but ‘Give me your daughter, and I will take care of her.’ I am ready but not desperate. When I saw Tiwi on day one, I knew she would be my wife.”
The couple made their marriage public on New Year’s Day 2024. They held their traditional wedding in Lagos on January 19, 2024, and their white wedding the next day. Billionaire Femi Otedola, his wife, and their daughter Tolani attended in support of Tiwi, who is Otedola’s niece. The pair later welcomed a baby girl in the United States.
Tiwi has largely stayed off social media. In 2026 she explained that she stepped away because the platforms were using her more than she was using them. That privacy has kept much of their home life off the timeline.