Uche Jombo is one of the most popular Nollywood actresses, having been in the Nigerian movie industry for years. Through hard work and dedication, she has grown to become a household name in Nigeria. In fact, when mentioning Y2K babes, you’ll mention Genevieve Nnaji, Tonto Dike, and Rita Dominic — but the list would never be complete if Uche Jombo is omitted.
Since she joined the Nigerian movie industry in 1999, she has featured in nearly 300 movies. After making a name for herself, she took her career to the next level by branching into screenwriting, production, and directing.
If you need a refresher on how talented and delectable Uche Jombo is, here’s a little more insight into her family life. Read on to find out how old Uche Jombo is, who her husband is, and whether Uche Jombo is still married.
Uche Jombo Career: When Did Uche Jombo Start Acting?
Uche Jombo started acting in 1999. She starred alongside Ricardo Agbor in the 1999 Nollywood film, Visa to Hell.
On December 7, 2018, Uche Jombo made her directorial debut with the release of the movie Heaven on My Mind. The film was a collaboration between “soul sisters” Uche Jombo and Ini Edo and starred Nollywood big names like Ray Mondi, Mercy Aigbe, Adunni Ade, and others.
Long before Uche Jombo started directing in 2018, she had already made a name for herself as a talented actress and producer.
Uche Jombo Awards and Recognition
Awards and recognition are an enviable side effect that comes with the type of talent, hard work, and consistency that Uche Jombo puts into her job. Over the years, Uche Jombo has built quite an impressive portfolio that would definitely inspire aspiring actors.
Since she started acting in 1999, she has earned nearly twenty recognitions and nominations from major award bodies. These include the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), ELOY Awards, and AfroHollywood Awards (UK). Uche Jombo has snagged an impressive eleven awards throughout her career.
Her notable wins include:
- AfroHollywood Awards (UK) – Best Actress (2008)
- Best of Nollywood Awards – Best Supporting Actress (Silent Scandals, 2010)
- City People Entertainment Awards – Best Actress (2010)
- Abia State Awards – Honor Award (2010)
- Life Changers Awards (UK) – Nollywood Personality of the Year (2010)
- 5 Continents Awards (New York) – Merit Award for Charity Support (2010)
- ELOY Awards – Best Actress in a Leading Role (Damage, 2011)
- NAFCA (Nollywood & African Film Critics Awards) – Best Actress in a Leading Role (Damage, 2011)
- NAFCA (Nollywood & African Film Critics Awards) – Best Film (Damage, 2011)
- Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) – Best Actress in a Leading Role (Lies Men Tell, 2013)
- Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA) – Female Viewers’ Choice (2015)
Uche Jombo’s Son, Matthew Rodriguez
Uche Jombo, as mentioned earlier, keeps her family life close to her heart. Still, when it comes to her son, she occasionally gives fans a glimpse into their beautiful bond through photos, videos, and heartfelt birthday posts. Her 10-year-old son, Matthew Rodriguez, is already proving to have a charming presence of his own. In one particularly adorable video, he thanked fans for always supporting his mother and encouraged them to “ring that bell,” as he promoted her movie, Salt and Honey:
“Hey guys, thank you for always supporting my mum… Make sure to ring that bell, like and subscribe… but guess what? There is a new film out, it’s called Salt and Honey… but Mum, why is it called Salt and Honey..?”
Uche Jombo’s Husband: Is Uche Jombo Still Married?
Uche Jombo and her beau, Kenney Rodriguez, got married on May 16, 2012. The actress and the Puerto Rico-based businessman have a child together, Matthew Rodriguez. Even though all signs point to the two possibly not being together anymore, there’s also a chance that Uche Jombo simply prefers to keep her life, relationship, and family extremely private and away from the public eye.
Uche Jombo’s husband has become something of a legend (almost a myth) since their pairing faced an unfair amount of attention from tabloids and blogs. At the time, rumors began to swirl about her husband’s alleged affair with a 22-year-old. To make matters worse, a second wave of gossip erupted when netizens noticed that Uche had dropped her husband’s name from her Instagram bio, fueling even more speculation about trouble in paradise.
At the time, she responded to the rumors and attention to her marriage with a skating statement that read:
“If you are going to make up stories about my life or marriage, try facts. Normally, I will look at this stupid trending story on me today and look the other way but not today. I find your need to create mirage tales of rancour where there are none in chase of a story/news outrageous.”
She also added that she should be left out of “the manufactured, made-up stories”:
“There’s no story here except a woman trying to balance her family life and work in two countries. Please leave my family out of your manufactured made up stories, there are more important stories, real issues in world people are worried about than little old me.”
Her then-husband also followed up with a message of his own. Even though he did not admit any guilt, he cleared the air on the rumor and sent a heart-warming message to his wife:
“I would like to publicly apologize to my wonderful wife Uche Jombo for the foolishness that has been speculating on the Internet.”
He went on to add that uche Jombo was “undeserving of this negative inaccurate press”:
“I would like to take this opportunity to formally say ‘I’M SORRY’ to my wife because she’s undeserving of this negative inaccurate press that no one will wish upon their loved one.”
Mariam Emily Adama is a copywriter, SEO strategist, and digital marketer passionate about using words to inform, inspire, and influence. With over seven years of experience writing for global brands and managing digital campaigns, she brings a data-driven yet creative approach to content creation. When she’s not writing or analyzing trends, Mariam enjoys exploring new cultures, reading, and documenting stories that celebrate African excellence.