Former Ghanaian football star Nii Odartey Lamptey has recently shared the emotional turmoil he experienced upon discovering that the three children he raised with his ex-wife, Gloria Appiah, were not biologically his.
In a recent interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube, Lamptey revealed that the distressing revelation pushed him to the edge, to the extent that he contemplated using a gun he had in his car.
However, he ultimately chose not to take drastic action after contemplating his future.
Lamptey’s ordeal began in 2013 when DNA tests confirmed that he was not the father of the children, leading to the breakdown of his 20-year marriage with Appiah.
The former Anderlecht and Aston Villa forward detailed how the discovery left him devastated.
The ensuing prolonged legal battle between the couple involved compensation claims made by Appiah. In 2017, Lamptey won a lawsuit against his ex-wife, who had sought 50 percent of his assets.
An Accra High Court ruled that Appiah had committed adultery and dismissed her request for half of Lamptey’s wealth.
Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey, who presided over the case, ordered Appiah to vacate Lamptey’s plush seven-bedroom apartment in East Legon within 30 days.
The court mandated Lamptey to provide his ex-wife with a four-bedroom house in Dome, a car, and Ghc200,000 as settlement.
Lamptey also recounted his challenging journey to Belgium, where he was smuggled using a Nigerian passport.
His story sheds light on the significant personal and professional challenges he has faced.
This deeply personal interview highlights the intense emotional and legal struggles faced by the former football star, underscoring the resilience he has shown in the face of adversity..
Jail or move on?
Opening up on his reaction when he found out he wasn’t the father of the three children he had raised, Odartey Lamptey said he nearly took a decision that could’ve landed him in jail.
“Yeah, I took that decision [to pull a gun], but God spoke to me and since then I haven’t touched my gun. The gun was in my Tundra, but I decided I would not do anything.
“I was broken, but I was very patient about it, and that has led me to where I am today. I believe it was God who spoke to me, and so I decided not to use my gun. It used to be in my Tundra, but I decided not to touch the gun again.
“I had to control my anger, otherwise I could’ve been in prison by now. And I wouldn’t have been able to have my three children. So, sometimes when you get angry, you have to think twice before taking action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Odartey Lamptey is now happily married to actress Ruweida Yakubu, and together they are blessed with three children.
