Nollywood actor Bucci Franklin has opened up about the challenges of growing up without an active father figure and lauded single mothers for their resilience.
Advertisment
In an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo on YouTube, Franklin revealed that although his father was alive, he was absent during his childhood. The actor said this absence exposed him to negative influences during his teenage years.
Advertisment
“As a kid, I had my woman shege. It is not easy to be a single parent. My mum had to go to work. Not having a father figure is quite difficult,” Franklin said, praising his mother for raising him alone.
Advertisment
He stressed the importance of male guidance in a boy’s life, adding, “Maximum respect to women out there taking care of their children by themselves. But you need a man in your life. If you do not want to get married, you need a brother to play that role. For boys especially, you just need a father figure.”
Advertisment
Franklin admitted that during his adolescence, he experimented with alcohol, cigarettes, and girls, admitting, “I was into girls, drugs by drugs, I mean cigarettes. Drinking beer at a very young age. Coming back home completely wasted.”
Despite his father’s absence, Franklin said he has chosen to forgive him and now sees him in a different light. “My dad is good, but he was not in the picture. I see him now for the man he is, not the man he was. I have forgiven him,” he said.
Advertisment
The actor credited his mother,Mrs Joy, for shaping the man he has become and encouraged teenagers to seek positive role models. “The man that I am today, and that I would continue to be, is because of Mrs Joy,” he added.
Advertisment
Bucci Franklin’s candid reflections highlight both the struggles of fatherless children and the unwavering strength of single mothers raising the next generation.
Advertisment
Advertisment
Advertisment