Late Actor Junior Pope’s Wife Pens Heartbreaking Tribute on His 45th Posthumous Birthday

A year after his tragic death, Jennifer Odonwodo, wife of late Nollywood actor Junior Pope, has shared a deeply emotional tribute to her husband on what would have been his 45th birthday, May 7, 2025.

In a touching Instagram post, Jennifer took followers back to the early days of their love story, recalling one of their very first conversations from July 2010.

“You asked my birth date… I asked for yours, and you said, ‘the last day in the first week of May.’ And I said, ‘7th???’ You said, ‘Smart,’ with a clap,” she wrote, holding onto the memory with bittersweet tenderness.

Alongside her words, Jennifer posted a montage video filled with cherished moments — scenes of their life together, with their three young sons, set to an emotional song that captured the weight of the day.

“It’s May 7th, 2025, and I’m not celebrating you with my different birthday surprises (I doubt I missed any), not with candles and cakes, but with tears and memories and a heart that still beats in rhythm with yours,” she shared.

She ended her heartfelt message with words that seemed almost too heavy to bear:

“I had a lot in mind to type but at this point, words fail me. Happy 45th Birthday, our Daddy in Heaven… We carry your love in everything we do. Keep watching over us, Debonair.”

Junior Pope, whose real name was Junior Pope Odonwodo, tragically passed away in April 2024 after a boating accident during a film shoot on the River Niger.

Just hours before the incident, he had posted a video from the boat ride, making his untimely death even more haunting for his fans and loved ones.

His passing sent shockwaves through Nollywood, sparking urgent conversations about on-set safety and actor welfare.