Media personality Tolulope Oniru, popularly known as Toolz, has stood by her recent comments on marriage, insisting that respect from a partner’s parents is an important foundation for a healthy relationship.
Her remarks first came during an interview with Morayo Afolabi Brown, where she reflected on her 10-year marriage to her husband, a pilot. During the conversation, Toolz advised people considering marriage to think carefully if their partner’s parents neither like nor respect them.
The comments sparked mixed reactions on social media, prompting the broadcaster to clarify her position in a post shared on Instagram.
According to Toolz, relationships often become difficult when a partner’s family does not accept or respect the person they intend to marry. She argued that such situations usually create conflicts that are hard for the incoming spouse to overcome.
She also noted that although it may appear romantic for a partner to choose their spouse over their parents, the resulting emotional strain and possible family estrangement can place significant pressure on the marriage.
Toolz explained that she was not suggesting that in-laws must approve of every decision or have an exceptionally close relationship with their child’s spouse. Rather, she said mutual respect should be the minimum expectation.
“I genuinely believe it’s important that your partner’s parents like you. Or at the very least, respect you,” she wrote.
She added that respect should extend to the individual, the relationship and the decisions made by the couple together, stressing that peaceful family relationships benefit everyone involved.
Concluding her post, Toolz said harmony between a partner and their parents becomes even more valuable when that peace also includes the spouse, making family life easier for all.
