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The entertainment industry in Nigeria is still in shock. Newsrooms are buzzing up; and fans are scrambling for information. Yes, it’s true. The couple we love and admire; the union we so fancy, is breaking up – leaving us all jaw-dropped with saliva almost escaping from our mouths.
It’s not the first time couples are parting ways. And it will not be the last. We’ve seen it over and over again – From Kris and Tina Okotie to Bukky Wright and Bolaji Basia and Kefee and Alec Godwin – celebrity marriages world over appear to have very short shelf lives. What’s different in this case, however, is that not many saw the union of 9ice and Toni as ‘another celeb marriage”. Just like Betty and Soni Irabor or Joke and Olu Jacobs, we saw 9ice and Toni as two driven, focused and passionate people whose souls are intertwined; two young people who know their destination, and are willing to go all the way, hand-in-hand, in spite of whatever trials or tribulations accost them on the way.
Sadly, the announcement today, of the couple’s separation, has dashed hopes and defeated all expectations; causing us to stop and ponder: was the relationship what we thought it was all along? Or did something go wrong along the line?
9ice was yet to hit it big with ‘gongo aso’, when he announced to a reporter at Hip TV that he’s dating Toni Payne, and that they’ll be getting married. The year was 2007. Toni at the time, was known simply as the owner of an online entertainment journal, along with the Toni Payne fashion and cosmetics range. 9ice was a struggling musician who was about to join the A-league, following the growing success of his single.
The blogs praised their relationship, and many expressed confidence that Toni’s experience and exposure would help 9ice’s growing career.
And indeed, the months that followed saw 9ice’s career grow in leaps and bounds. 2008 was a great year – the year he finally hit it big, and joined the millionaire’s club. And, in spite of rumours that he was having an affair with a certain Globacom executive, he re-stated his commitment to Toni, and went on to exchange wedding vows with her, at the Surulere Registry, in Lagos, on July 17. Toni was already pregnant at the time. Their baby Zion was born on December 4, 2008.
Yes, they got a baby boy; holidayed in the UK and US, built a home in Lagos, and supported each other’s business.
But in the midst of all that, those close to the couple say there were signs things were not what they ought to be. ”There was often arguments and disagreements and a lot of times, 9ice would get out of the house”, a source who wants to remain anonymous told NET.
There’ll always be disagreements and quarells in a marriage. Couples will disagree. Partners will fight. Friends will be upset with one another. But at what point do you decide you’ve had enough? That it’s all over and done? At what point do you bang the door and take a walk?
When a marriage breaks up, it affects not just the couple involved. Friends, parents, siblings, colleagues, children all bear the burden. Everyone feels the strain, and to those who understand the import of marriage, it seems like a personal loss, even when your most distant married friends/relatives/family friends are waving each other bye.
Apart from the couple though, no one feels the pain, over the course of time, like the kids involved. The kids have to live through the trauma of a broken home – we can’t begin to enumarate the effects on them, and even the society on the short and long run.
We all welcomed the birth of Zion. We rejoiced on the couple’s behalf and used them as a good example for other celebrity bachelors and bechelorettes who are too scared to take the bold step. And it’s sad to think that Zion will grow up not seeing his parents the way they were in 2007 – lovebirds, lost in their own world and willing to dissolve into one being.
While we continue to ask questions, hoping to get to the root of the cause of this unwanted separation, we’d like to invite you to please join us to appeal to the couple, to please reconsider their stand; leave divorce out of their options now, and please seek practical ways of resolving whatever differences tearing them apart. This is one request we know baby Zion would make, if he could speak right now.
Let’s make it on his behalf; let all 9ice fans come out and request he reconcile with his wife.
Who knows? The situation might still be redeemable?
20 QUICK FACTS ABOUT TONI PAYNE AND 9ICE
- 9ice and Toni Oluwaseun Payne met in 2006 at Gbenga Adeyinka’s 10th anniversary at motherland in Opebi.
- Their affair started as friendship and later led to marriage.
- They were legally married in Lagos on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at Surulere registry.
- Toni Payne is based in Los Angeles, Califonia,USA. She is the CEO of Toni Payne line of cosmetics, apparel and publisher of Nigerian entertainment magazine.
- She was responsible for the fashion concept on his ‘Gongo aso’ album released March, 2008.
- Their baby Zion was born on Thursday December 4, 2008 at Presbyterian hospital, Southern California, United States of America.
- 9ice is the CEO of Alapomeji Records which houses artists such as Ajayi Brothers, Streetwise, Snow and Kayefi..
- Toni Payne started her apparel business in 2003.
- Her mother hails from Abeokuta in Ogun State.
10. Toni Payne attended the California State University, Northride.
11. She studied Video Digital Art.
12. In April 25, 2009, Toni Payne lost her father who hailed from Lagos.
13. In June 20, 2008 9ice performed at London Hyde Park alongside Will Smith, Amy Winehouse, U2 and many others; in honour of South African leader Nelson Mandela who clocked 90.
14. His debut album titled ‘certificate’ was released in 2006.
15. After the success of the Gongo Aso album released in March 2008, 9ice joined the millionaires club, built a posh duplex christened ‘Alapomeji’ on the Lagos-Abeokuta express way.
16. 9ice released his third alum ‘tradition’ on the December 7, 2009.
17. As at last count, 9ice’s collaborations amounts to twenty
18. 9ice was born on January 20, 1980.
19. In Wednesday 15, 2008, 9ice won the MOBO best African act award.
20. Their wedding lasted for 20 months
Related posts:
- BREAKING NEWS: 9ice and Toni Payne Are Separating!
- Toni Payne Calls On 9ice To Clear The Air
- 9ice, Toni Payne, Back Together?
- 9ice, Toni Payne Reunion Suffers Setback
- ID Cabasa, Toni Payne Shun 9ice’s Birthday Party
Tags: 9ice, toni payne
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No matter wat d case may be.Am a woman,a jealous one.Nice,take some time off anything u’re doing.Think very deep do u really love Toni? U can get urself occupied wit a lot of thing just to fill d empty vaccum but nothing can replace LOVE(dat’s if u really love her).Nice,u come from a polygamous home.The background is faulty so ur case is more of spiritual than physical u’ve to pray seriously and claim d promises of God.D spirit behind polygamy is dat it will want u to have 2 or more wives.If for dat alone PLEASE take her back because all eyes are on you,for you to fall into d trap of polygamy.
i love women with soft heart ,yours is like one but think is it a fair play ?talking about infidelity
i will be happy if 2 of them can be ok only how will i fill if i see my close freind is makin love with my marrige wife.1st if i settle can i stop think of what my freind did with my wife, only what can make me happy is that if God can help me take the life of that my freind that have something with my wife of if or i shuld go with my wife and never see the guy again. but if i countinue sein him i will never be happy. secound thing that can make me happy is to do the samethings that my freind do to my wife to his wife too only that can make me happy and be ok with my marrige, i,m sorry if this my message is too hot but if i,m the one i will settle with my wife because i love her and i belive 9ice luv his wife . but that my freind must give me his wife too or he will die for this case or i will never setle with my wife one must happen among the 3. (that is if that reall hapen with my wife and my freind)
my friend and my wife ?na the one way you see how much more we dey pas under ur nose but for women it always their first time maybe she will be saying so too
fuck all A*******S am ADESANYA Olalekan, well i just want to say to hell to that Toni or what ever you call her she is nothing but an A******E, I use to like her but for what she did i hate her i hate all about her, ask her if the kid is really 9ice’s kid? at times i hate some women for what they use to put WE men into.. 9ice my guy if you really love yourself go and remarry if not she ‘TONI’ will let you down once again, so please stay off from her oO…
With due respect,I am terribly disappointed in wot u said.
U nd I know dt d rumour has nt bin confirmed
Although we know dt dre is no smoke wivout a fire
Buh I expect you to apply maturity nd be cautious in ur judgements
If uve had terrible experiences wiv women, it does nt give u d effontery to stereotype women
U nid to keep ur personal experiences aside
Anyways all d best sha!
According to the 9th of the 10 commandments, we shouldn’t bear false witness or false accusation, therefore, I’ll rather, people find the truth of the matter and hold to it, If its true, to err is human, to forgive is divine. As human, if eyes were taken off some matters, mind cannot! Yes but forgiveness is the best way to be free of guilt. I’m not asking him to take back anyway, its his decision based on him comfort and happiness. Nice is my man, God bless whatever decision he so take on this matter.
The bible say judge not ur fellow bredren for u not to be judged, whatever that is hiden in the sight of man is very clear in the sight of God so God sees everything that happened between the both party, but my own candid oppinion is that even if truely Tony actualy did what 9ice is claiming against her, then he sould at least think of the good things she had done in his life in years past, according to his speach in the “Ones bitten twice shy”, and above all for the sake of their lovely son Zion, they should please settle their differences and come together as one again.
i agree wiv u jare!
omo i no get anything to say make the two of them go settel
Abolore, i’m one of your great fan (very great one), i was surprised when i heard the news that 9ice and Payne is separating. U guys should PLEASE bury the hatchet and live on… “ewo ti zion”
Abolore, this is a plea from my heart that you should reconsider your wife for the sake of your son’s (children’s) future. I am a product of polygamous family just like you. Please my guy, oro yii gba riro (Think deeply please)One love.
focus man dat’s my advise.Be self considerate
Egbon 9ice please don’t allow Gongo to so on your marriage. pls mak it a credible one. Anty Payne, i know u r an americana but pls u r married to a nigerian and so nigerian customs must be applicable. pls i believe u wouldn’t want Zion to visit his dad for some time and come back for some time. Ur magazines doesn’t preach this.
9ice n Payne, bury d hatchet. Think well.
9ce please dont mess up in order not to lose ur fans
WHILE MARRIAGE IS NOT A BED OF ROSSES, ITS FULL OF UPS AND DOWN, MY CO ARTIST 9CE, I DNT NO WAT WENT WRONG AND I DNT CARE TO NO AND I DNT WANT TO NO, PLS MY FRIEND AND CO ARTIST, CONSIDER UR CHILD ZION AND TAKE UR WIFE IN, NO BODY FORCED YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE TO GET MARRIED TO HER AND DNT LET ANY BODY TELL U TO LIVE UR WIFE.. IF NT FOR HER SAKE BUT THINK OF THE FUTURE OF THE BABY ZION AND CONSIDER MY PLIGHT.. 9ICE I LOVE U AS A PERSON AND AS A FELOW ARTIST MATE. .. AND I SAID MARRIAGE IS NT A BED OF ROSSES… SO MOVE ON WITH UR WIFE MAY GOD BLESS YOU AMEN.. FROM DR PRINCE OF ITALY
9ice what i will say is that…..fuck up do happen,he don happen be that ooo.Now you have to take heart.Am only saying this because of your lovely son Zion.Because know man will be happy to catch his wife making love with his friend.and my own advice is that,you should take toni back only if you really can do it oo.because me personally will do that on only one condition,that she will not live together with me again in the same house. because toni really fuck up alot…Well only GOD almighty can solve this matter not want we people say’s.think ham well my guy,your day will surely last on earth and may u always proper in everything you do.
As for me oooooo
Nice, if its true that u really saw her giving “your friend nodding” as u claimed in your song, then please dont go back. A cheating wife can be very deadly.
A lot of guys that are asking you to go back, help me ask them if they can accept such from their wife
9ice i day feel ur song but it would b cool if u get back 2 ur wife 4 d sake of ur son ZION i knew it pains 2 be betrayed by some1 u love. but at d same think of those happy movement u av wt ur wife
pls pls pls
Pls Baba agba all the way from Bariga they beg u that should try to take ur Wife back .
Before people begin to calculate fake ,cheap pls try to forgive and forget what happen between u and her………..
pls my brother MR 9ICE GO AND TAKE YOUR WIFE BACK, JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR SON AND D LOVE U BOTH AV 4 EACH OTHER THINK ABOUT THE GOOD YOU HAVE DONE, WHEN I HEARD DAT U ARE GETTING MARRIED WITH UR SOME ON MY WEDDING DAY I WAS SO HAPPY FOR YOU BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE CELEBRITIES DO BUT IN UR CASE I WAS SO HAPPY DONT LET PEOPLE USE YOU AS BAD EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ALL LOOK AND THINK CELEBRITIES DOES ( I LOVE U BOTH)
EVEN AL-QURAN DID NOT WANT IT.
PLS TAKE HER BACK.
9nice,
pls I beg u in the name of God.Do take her back.
now that u are saying u don”t want her again, do you know what the new wife you will marry will do? it may even be worse o. The devil you know is better than the angel you don”t know.
pls take her back n God will be happy that you forgive your wife so that he can forgive you too.
Do not think of what people will say. You are respected among all.
I can now see that majority of Nigerians are Hypocrites and some of them do not just think before jumping into conclusion. I can remember vividly that when this incidence happened, a lot of people were saying 9ice should forget Payne, that he should not reconcile with her anymore and they were all praising 9ice for his actions, by divorcing Payne… these are d same people telling 9ice to go back to Payne again…
Anyway, i don’t blame u guys, I blame 9ice for listening to cacaphonic type of friends and advice that are baseless… If I were to be Payne, I will sue 9ice to Court and make sure he pays darely. I will make sure he spends his money on Court cases… Oju e ti ja!
9ice has to beg Payne, Ruggedman, Zion, ID Cabassa, Jah-Bless and co… He should relax his brain and head, after all, “Many don make money before am and e no drive dem insane…”
I am a very stong fan of 9ice, and when the whole thing about the track “once bitten twice shy” happen with the impression dat his friend “RuggeMan” was d person he was referring to, i felt so bad and so dissapointed in “Rugged”
Meanwhile, am getting to understand things better….for instance D Cabasa clearly stated (the producer of the so called track) that Toni Payne was even around when the song was recorded…..Lets be honest here….i have been a fan of 9ice and will remain a fan of his 4ever, however, i think so many things is happening to him dat we his fans can not see, i cant imagine dat 9ice could fall out with Cabasa for watever reason bcos they are like brothers…Read ID Cabasa Interview on http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/index.php?news=8703
My candid advise to 9ice is dat he should have a rethink of the whole situation, reconcile with his conscience and God (as far as this matter is concerned), after that he should reconcile with those that felt hurt in this case (Toni Payne, Cabasa and Rugged) God Bless 9ice
Now you’re talking… A lot of people just jump to conclusion even before the matter starts. Ever since this incidence happened in 2009, I’ve always been of the opinion that the song in question, ‘Once Beaten, Twice Shy’ is a fictional song and that as an artiste, you can get inspiration from anywhere… 9ice allowed himself to be controlled by fans who knew him not when he was in ID Cabassa’s studio to fight with ‘the fingers’ that fed him… He should think properly ooo
Nice , my guy , pls. try and understand your wife and be more patient and prayerful bro. Toni , my sister , you will do well if you allow cool and submissive spirit to be in charge of ur marriage ,for the word of God says he that has a cool spirit is better that the man that take the whole city. You may not know the effect and implication of divorce now , but i must be sincere to you, it’s always fatal. Both of you should desist from selfishness and take to consideartion , especially that little sinless boy , zion , that papa God has put in your custody. Wish u luck guys in ur marriage.
Well, marriage they say is for better for worse and i read in my bible that adultery is a bad thing and is suppose to be punishable, but we are mortals and imperfect, and i am sure we are also sinners do we offend God almost every min of each day but my candid advice is that they get back together though they have been separated for a while now and i guess they must av learn’t their lessons. 9ice for the sake of that baby pls get back 2gda with ur wife. Gos is ur strength
make them go lick soup
I dont have anything to say cos i do not know the facts. Nigerians always make assumptions. One does not even know which is which.
9ice av 2 4giv and 4get
Akande,wat exactly went wrong. I no dat no man would marry a loving woman and just decide to walk out of d marriage 4 trivials. Wateva it is or was I believ could be corrected n sorted out. Gud enuf u’ve got a child to d bargain. Tink abt little Zion n d luv dat brot d 2 of u 2geda in d 1st instance. Dis goes to my dear lady Tony. Evry relatnshp has its problems. It is our ability to sacrifice dat makes relatnshps last. D 2 of u shud thnk well b4 finally ca
Not 2 late nice….go settle with her and toni, you too can do the same….It for both of you! Make amend!! NOW!!! YOUR SON SUFFERS IT MORE NOT YOU GUYS
I think God knows best,but whatever d case may b,u guys should go ahead and use ur church minds,but think very well b4 taking any step.i wish u goodluck
I don’t really know the wife but as long as Nigerian music is concerned,9ice is my best.I want both of them to start seing themselfs from there good sides,two wrongs can neva make a right,they shld throw away this pride in them and please come back again.I know it’s hard but for Christ sake they are still husband and wife and they should always remember that to ear is human but to forgive is divine.9ice,does it mean u neva meant those touching words in u track{my wedding day}.Take back ur wife mehn,forget the world.Ur world ends with ur wife and son.I beg u in the name of God.
Abolore a.k.a 9ice i would like u to overlook whatever ur wife has done to u just 4 d sake of this little boy Zion. Please Please n Please!!!!!!! May God intervein n solve this matter. U are blessed
i think he should forgive her
I will advise 9ice to please for christ’s sake to forgive & forget & take his wife Toni Payne back. Don’t leave your wife because of that prostitute called Vickki Godis that is a gold digga & a man eater.(Ma gbe Adie ta fi ra awo) Meaning do not sell chicken to buy guinea foul. Vickki is too exposed from her kaduna days to Ilorin & Abuja & well known among all the big big men in the North. I heard she’s not healthy sef,Vickki has heart problems & don get HIV now sef. Is that what 9ice wants to be spending his money on? 9ice beware of HIV Vickki Godis o. Make she no ruin you & your carrier. According to Vickki’s neighboursshe’s not a wife material. She’s a fake lady that has warmed the beds of almost all the Northern men for money.
MARRIAGE IS FOR BETTER FOR WORSE AND IS ALSO A UPS AND DOWN,LET US NOT PUT ARE MOUTH INTO WHAT THAT IS NOT CONCERNED US,GOD SAY PUT NOT ASSUNDER INTO WHAT GOD HAS JOINTED TOGETHER,GUYS I WISH U ALL THE BEST IN LIFE AND HAPPY MARRIAGE LIFE,WITH LOVE AJEBO.
They are both from polygamous background. Maybe zion’s wish if it was only him but now, he’s got twins as step sisters.Toni should have been more patient in this whole issue.It’s d duty of an african woman to be extremely patient.Wen all dis issue started,she made an exclusive interview with city people insulting her in-laws n her estranged husband. She also tweeted negative stuffs about 9ice as being gay and spending blood money.She put herself, 9ice n their son out in the public. She lost everything there…She can’t disgrace her husband n his family in the public when she knew she still wants to come back to his life.Its never done in our culture.She should move on just like he said in one of his interviews.He also sang to that effect (9ice Versus Kayefi’s track on his Versus Album)