Journalist Stephen Adjetey Abban, known as Gabs, has used Nana Ama McBrown’s divorce story to challenge long-held societal and religious attitudes toward marriage, arguing that leaving an unhappy union can be an act of self-preservation rather than failure.
In a reflective commentary following McBrown’s televised disclosure, Gabs said marriage should no longer be viewed through rigid, absolutist lenses that ignore emotional well-being and compatibility.
“Marriage is not a do-or-die institution,” he said. “Once compatibility fades and peace becomes a luxury, walking away becomes an act of self-preservation, not failure.”
He criticised religious and societal pressures that encourage endurance at all costs, warning that such thinking has contributed to tragic outcomes where individuals feel trapped in emotionally suffocating situations. Despite counselling, prayers and social expectations, he noted, marriage remains a fragile institution with no guaranteed outcomes.
Gabs suggested that McBrown’s decision to leave was neither sudden nor careless, pointing out that women are often the last to give up in marriages, even when the union has been compromised for a long time.
“It is obvious that walking away was not your first option,” he said. “Yet here you stand, strong, composed, and unbroken.”
He also addressed McBrown’s comment that she may never marry again, saying he supported the decision if it was made with clarity and peace. According to him, marriage is frequently romanticised, while the full emotional demands are rarely discussed honestly.
“Many who participate in it rarely tell the full truth about what it truly demands,” Gabs said, adding that McBrown’s experience had become “her greatest teacher.”
He concluded by encouraging the actress to continue healing and expanding her horizons while being mindful of how her story may shape her daughter’s future perceptions.
“Do not allow the scars, visible or invisible, to define you,” he said. “Soar higher.”
