David Oyelowo will "never" be away from his wife for more than a fortnight
The 49-year-old actor has been married to 'Captive' actress Jessica Watson, 47, since 1998 and has Asher, Penuel, Caleb, and Zoe with her, but insisted that there are certain "non-negotiables" in place which have meant they have stood the test of time
23 April 2025
He told The Guardian: "My wife was told her IQ is off the charts during an assessment for ADHD. Now, she's a member of Mensa. Our four children are neurodiverse, too. They have incredibly special attributes that they wear as superpowers. I'm in awe that I get to be their father.
"Any lasting relationship needs non-negotiables. We made the decision early on never to be apart for longer than two weeks: 26 years married and we've only broken that rule once, by 11 hours, when my wife was in 'Sleepy Hollow'. If I ever meet [director] Tim Burton, I'll be having words."
The 'Selma' star also noted that he and his wife will always "resolve" an argument before they go to bed because otherwise any dispute will "grow like cancer" overnight.
He said: "Never let the sun go down on your wrath. We won't go to bed if a disagreement isn't resolved - sleep makes it grow like cancer. Before you know it, you don't remember why you were fighting, ego and pride becomes a factor, and then it starts to fall apart."
During their time together, the couple have also had to deal with three miscarriages and David insisted that his own faith has been imperative to making it through tough times in the marriage and, because of that, their love for each other has only ever "increased".
He said: "God has never let me down. He's a key factor in guiding my decisions and feeling safe within them. My wife and I suffered three miscarriages, one of them quite late in the pregnancy. Without faith, we would have retreated into our own corners to lick our wounds, but our love increased."
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