Funke Akindele breaks silence on underpayment allegation, opens up on personal struggles
Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele has denied allegations of underpaying skit maker and actor Ijoba Lande, clarifying that she neither knows him personally nor withheld payment for his role in her film.
In an emotional interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Akindele addressed the controversy that recently trended online. “Do I know this person? No. This person came to act in my movie, got paid, and left. Why are you accusing me of something I didn’t do wrong?” she questioned, revealing how the accusation deeply affected her.
The actress also opened up about her mental and emotional health, recounting how she recently broke down following a series of personal setbacks. Akindele cited the collapse of her marriage, her loss in the Lagos gubernatorial election, the passing of her mother, and the pressures of single-handedly raising her children as some of the challenges she’s been dealing with.
“I do not allow myself to break down, and it affected me after my mom’s death. And I almost died,” she said. “My heart was aching… For the first time, I went live on social media and said, ‘You all should leave me alone.’”
The box office queen revealed that the false narrative worsened her emotional state. “I have children I’m raising alone, and you are stressing me. So, for the first time, I cried. I broke down for weeks,” she said.
Ijoba Lande, whose real name is Ganiyu Kehinde Morufu, had earlier claimed he was paid only N90,000 after working on her set for a month. However, he has since publicly apologized to Akindele, admitting that he was actually paid N190,000.
The incident has sparked conversations online about fair compensation in Nollywood and the impact of online misinformation on public figures.
