Esther Smith
Gospel musician, Esther Smith, has revisited her past marriage, cautioning women against rushing into relationships due to pressure from family or society.
Speaking on, ‘The Delay Show’ with Deloris Frimpong Manso, the singer said her experience taught her a hard lesson.
“Don’t let anybody put pressure on you to marry,” she said. “As a senior sister, that’s my advice to you.”
Esther Smith was married to Rev. Ahinkan Bonsu in the mid-2000s, but the union lasted about four years before ending in a widely publicised divorce between 2008 and 2010.
She explained that the marriage came at a time when her music career was thriving, especially after the success of songs like ‘Ma Won Nsan’. According to her, things began to decline afterwards.
“After ‘Ma Won Nsan’, marriage came into the picture… I began to sink. It was a very hard time,” she said.
The marriage crisis became public in 2008 when Esther Smith travelled to Europe, Holland for a music programme while allegedly pregnant.
According to her then-husband, she later allegedly moved to Germany and did not return to Ghana.
He alleged that while in Germany, she allegedly gave birth and held the child’s outdooring ceremony without informing him, deepening tensions between them.
The situation escalated when Esther Smith’s family allegedly returned the bride price and items used in their customary marriage, formally dissolving the union.
At the time, both parties made allegations against each other, including claims of infidelity, which fuelled widespread public debate.
Looking back, Esther Smith believes she was influenced by expectations from family and her environment, including pressure about age and marriage.
“My vision was dimmed because of marriage,” she admitted.
She now encourages women to take control of their decisions and not feel forced into marriage.
“Even if you’re not married, you can adopt a child. Don’t marry for someone to play with your heart,” she indicated.