Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Queen Mercy Atang, has confirmed that her one-year marriage to David Oyekanmi has ended. The reality TV star made the revelation while responding to a fan on Instagram, bringing an end to months of speculation and rumours surrounding the state of her marriage.
Queen Mercy, who came into the spotlight during the 2021 Shine Ya Eye edition of BBNaija, got married to David in March 2024. The wedding drew widespread attention, partly because it came amid a public dispute between her and her baby daddy, popular skit maker Lord Lamba.
For months, fans have speculated that the marriage was in trouble, especially after the reality star unfollowed her husband on Instagram and deleted their wedding photos. At the time, she dismissed the rumours and said she only wanted to protect her marriage from the pressures of social media. But her latest comment shows that the union has indeed broken down.
Shortly after their wedding, social media users noticed that Queen Mercy and David were no longer interacting online. Their pictures disappeared from each other’s profiles, and they stopped posting content together. This led to talk that the relationship was facing serious challenges.
Fans grew even more suspicious when Queen Mercy attended major events without her husband. The most recent was at the burial ceremony of actress Mercy Aigbe’s mother last week, where she appeared alone.
Even though fans constantly questioned her online, Queen Mercy did not give a direct answer until Wednesday.
The confirmation came under one of her Instagram posts. Queen Mercy had shared a new photo of herself from the burial ceremony, drawing several comments praising her beauty. One of the comments, posted by a fan with the username @makachrist, asked, “Queen, hope you are still married because asa, you are too beautiful to be single.”
In a clear and direct response, the reality star wrote: “Single and unavailable.”
The short comment quickly went viral, confirming that the marriage had ended. Many fans said they had expected the breakup, while others expressed disappointment and sympathy.
Queen Mercy’s marriage to David Oyekanmi came shortly after the highly publicized drama involving Lord Lamba, the father of her daughter. Before her wedding, she and Lord Lamba were involved in a public back-and-forth over the welfare of their child and disagreements about co-parenting. The issue attracted heavy media coverage, making her a trending topic on social platforms for weeks.
Some fans believe that the pressure from that earlier drama may have contributed to the challenges in her new marriage. Others think the constant scrutiny from the public and blogs could have worsened the situation.
In an earlier attempt to calm rumours about trouble in her home, Queen Mercy said she was only removing her marriage from the public eye. She explained that she wanted a more private life and had no intention of feeding gossip blogs with content.
“I was trying to take my marriage off social media and reduce some of the things I put out there,” she said at the time.
But Wednesday’s revelation shows that the situation went far beyond a desire for privacy.
News of the breakup has generated strong reactions across Instagram, X, and TikTok. Many fans expressed sadness, saying they were rooting for the couple. Some praised Queen Mercy for choosing peace, while others advised her to focus on healing and her career.
On the other hand, a number of social media users criticized her for sharing private matters publicly. They argued that celebrities should avoid posting vague messages that lead to speculation.
Despite the mixed reactions, one thing is clear: fans will be watching her closely in the coming weeks to see how she moves on from the situation.
Queen Mercy’s situation highlights a growing trend of celebrity marriages facing intense public pressure in Nigeria. Over the years, several high-profile unions have ended shortly after glamorous weddings, often with social media scrutiny playing a major role.
For now, Queen Mercy has not shared further details about the cause of the breakup or whether she and David are undergoing any formal divorce process. What seems clear from her “single and unavailable” comment is that she is not interested in entering another relationship anytime soon.