Clarence Peters Reflects on Repeating His Father Shina Peters’ Mistakes, Finding Forgiveness Through Self-Realization.
Renowned Nigerian music video director and cinematographer, Clarence Peters, has opened up about a deeply personal chapter of his life, revealing that he found himself making many of the same mistakes his father—legendary Afro-Juju musician Shina Peters—once made. However, he acknowledged that the outcomes of his missteps were less damaging, largely due to the advantages of modern technology and the evolving societal landscape.
Speaking candidly on a recent episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, Clarence shared how the painful realization that he was unconsciously walking the same troubled path as his father became a pivotal moment in his life. This epiphany, he explained, came around 2014 to 2015 and profoundly influenced his emotional and psychological development.
“I repeated every single error my father made in his youth,” Clarence admitted. “The only difference is that I was fortunate—time and technology softened the consequences for me. It didn’t blow up in my face the way it did for him. But the essence of those mistakes was the same.”
According to Clarence, this awareness triggered a wave of empathy for his father and led him to grant forgiveness without ever needing to have a formal or confrontational conversation about the past. He described it as a moment of maturity that marked the beginning of his adult journey. “Once I saw myself clearly—repeating his mistakes—I forgave him right away. I didn’t need an apology or even a dialogue. That moment changed me. That was when I began the real journey into adulthood. And truthfully, that journey never ends. You’re always evolving.”
Who are Clarence Peters’ Family?
As the son of two iconic figures in Nigerian entertainment—his father, Shina Peters, and his mother, veteran actress Clarion Chukwura—Clarence’s upbringing was shaped by both fame and complexity. In a previous interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Clarence revealed that his existence almost didn’t happen. His mother, he shared, once contemplated terminating her pregnancy, but ultimately changed her mind, convinced by a deep spiritual belief that he was the reincarnation of her late father.
Growing up in the shadow of stardom came with emotional challenges. Clarence has been transparent about how his father’s behavior, particularly in the realm of relationships and how he treated women, left a lasting impression. While he strives to consciously break away from those behavioral patterns, he also admits that he is still learning and evolving, recognizing that he has made his own share of mistakes along the way.
“I’m not perfect,” he said. “Just like my father, I have flaws. But I’m working on being better—better to myself and better to the people around me.”
Clarence’s story is not just one of artistic success but also one of personal reckoning, forgiveness, and transformation. His openness about generational mistakes, inherited emotional baggage, and the slow, ongoing process of self-awareness offers a rare, human insight into the complexities of family, fame, and forgiveness. In many ways, Clarence Peters is not only creating a legacy behind the camera but also reshaping the one passed down to him—one hard-earned lesson at a time.
