Bucci Franklin has opened up on childhood struggles, growing up without his father.
The actor praised his mother’s strength, reflecting on past mistakes and the importance of male guidance.
Nollywood actor Bucci Franklin has spoken about his upbringing, highlighting the struggles of growing up without a father while commending single mothers for their resilience.
The To Kill a Monkey star revealed in an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo on YouTube that although his father was alive, he was absent throughout his childhood. He explained that this lack of fatherly presence exposed him to negative influences during his teenage years.
He said: “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,” while praising his mother for raising him singlehandedly.
Franklin also emphasized the importance of male guidance in a boy’s life. He gave “maximum respect” to single mothers raising children alone but insisted that boys still need a father figure. He explained that even if a woman chooses not to marry, having a brother or another male role model is crucial for the development of a boy.
The actor admitted that as a teenager, he experimented with alcohol, cigarettes, and relationships, saying: “I was into girls, drugs by drugs, I mean cigarettes. Drinking beer at a very young age. Coming back home completely wasted.”
Despite these struggles, Franklin revealed he has chosen to forgive his father. “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 explained.
He credited his mother, Mrs. Joy, for shaping the person he has become and urged young people to find positive influences in their lives. “The man that I am today, and that I would continue to be, is because of Mrs Joy,” he added.
