BBNaija star Bella Okagbue has finally addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Sheggz, saying she chose to remain silent because she believed some parts of their relationship should remain private.

In a statement shared on her social media page, Bella said she had watched people tell her story for her in recent days, but warned that her silence should not be interpreted as guilt.

She said she genuinely loved Sheggz, defended their relationship because she believed in it at the time and chose to give him another chance because she believed people could change.

However, Bella said believing in someone’s ability to change did not mean she had to wait indefinitely for that change to happen.

“The person everyone experiences publicly isn’t always the person you experience privately,” she wrote.

Addressing discussions about marriage and the ring Sheggz previously said he bought for her, Bella said wanting to marry someone she loved was not desperation and that knowing when not to marry someone was a sign of discernment.

“A ring doesn’t fix what made a relationship impossible,” she said.

Bella also appeared to dispute some of the claims that have emerged about their relationship, saying some versions of events circulating online did not reflect her experience.

She added that there were also parts of her own experience that she had chosen not to make public yet, saying those were hers to tell when she felt the time was right.

“A hundred promises. Not one fulfilled,” Bella wrote, adding that she eventually stopped listening to promises and began paying attention to patterns.

She said she had given the relationship love, another chance, and loyalty, but reached a point where trust, respect and peace could no longer coexist with that loyalty.

Bella concluded by saying she did not regret trying again but had now chosen to put herself first and walk away.

“So today, I choose myself. I choose differently, regardless of what comes with it,” she wrote.