Veteran entertainer and social commentator, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, says he has accepted his two daughters’ decision to identify as lesbians, stressing that his primary concern is their happiness.
The controversial entertainer made the disclosure in a recent interview.where he also addressed criticism over his public comments about his daughters and explained his approach to parenting adult children.
Charly Boy said his reaction was initially difficult, particularly when his younger daughter first came out, but he eventually accepted her decision.
He disclosed that his younger daughter identified as a lesbian several years ago, while his older daughter only recently made a similar decision.
According to him, his initial concern was partly influenced by the fact that his younger daughter had not had children, unlike her older sister, who had already established a family.
Charly Boy said he eventually realised that he could not dictate the choices of his adult children and chose to prioritise their wellbeing.
He said, “I was trying to educate people that you have no control over the life of a 50-something-year-old woman. This is the same woman who gave me six grandchildren and a great-grandson. If she decides that she no longer likes men and prefers to be a lesbian, so be it. My only concern is for her to be happy.”
The entertainer said his relationship with his children was more important to him than trying to impose his personal views on their lives.
He added that he had deliberately chosen to remain supportive rather than become a rigid parent who attempts to control the decisions of grown children.
Charly Boy said his position was also shaped by the fact that his daughters are adults capable of making decisions for themselves.
“I don’t want to quarrel with my children if I can help it. As long as you’re not bothering me, asking me for money or having a sense of entitlement, it’s all about love,” he said.
He explained that although accepting his daughters’ decisions was not entirely effortless, his love for them made it easier to adjust.
“And because I love my children deeply, I adapted quickly. I didn’t want to be an old-fashioned, rigid father; I wanted to be a supportive, open father. As long as they are standing on their own two feet and not asking me for money, their life is their life. At the end of the day, it all comes down to love,” he said.
Asked whether he felt bad about his daughters identifying as lesbians, Charly Boy gave a mixed response, saying he had wished his younger daughter had experienced motherhood before making the decision.
“Yes and no,” he said. “Yes, because I would have wished Dominique, like the older one, had her babies before she jumped into this, but she was never married before.”
Rather than allowing the controversy to dictate his relationship with them, Charly Boy said he had chosen to respect their adulthood while remaining available as their father.
