Nollywood actress Ayobami Oyita has lamented about the discrimination she says she has endured because of her association with the movie industry, revealing that being labelled an actress has cost her business opportunities, property deals and even affected her personal life
In an emotional video, Oyita said she quit acting years ago but continues to suffer prejudice because people still identify her as an actress.
According to her, she recently lost the opportunity to purchase a piece of land in Lagos after the seller’s wife allegedly refused to allow the transaction because she was an actress.
She also disclosed that she was denied rental properties for both her business and personal use after prospective landlords discovered she had worked in Nollywood.
Beyond housing, she claimed the stigma has extended to relationships, alleging that some families refuse to accept actresses as wives for their sons because of negative stereotypes attached to the profession.
She said:
“I am tired of being called an actress. Please stop calling me an actress. I have stopped being an actress for years. And even when I was an actress, I never did anything wrong. I said this with my full chest. I didn’t do anything wrong to anybody.
“The last time I was trying to buy a landed property in Lagos, I didn’t get this land because the wife of the person says, ‘Oh, I don’t want my husband to sell this land to an actress.’
“Immediately this man heard she’s an actress, he said, ‘No, I’m not renting my house to an actress.’ What did we do to you people? What exactly did we do to you people?
“Is it a crime? Is it a crime for having a talent? If I need to pay bloggers for this video to go viral, I am ready… I am tired of being called an actress. You guys, please stop calling me an actress.”
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