Nigeria box office Queen Funke Akindele has opened up on surviving online bullying.
The movie star, while speaking during media personality Chude Jideonwo’s Live Talk, admitted that despite her public image of strength, she struggled with her mental health due to social media bullying.
The mother of twins revealed that the death of her mother, the backlash she faced for politics, and public mockery of her personal life, especially her failed marriage, took a mental toll on her and led her to seek therapy. She said that there was a video she watched of people mocking her because she didn’t have a husband and this led her to break down and cry.
However, the moment she started speaking to a therapist, she became better. Advocating for therapy, she admonished people to seek therapy as it is important for them to speak up.
“Right from the start, I’ve always known that therapy is important, but I never submitted myself to it. You know, I’d be like, I don’t want anyone to hear about me. They’ll go and spread the gist. But I was dying in silence because I was acting strong.
Every time I showed strength, they threw more at me — at home, from family, at work, in society. You’re the role model for a lot of people out there.
I’m a very strong person. I have that strength, my God. I would hold my face firm, oh yes. I saw all the insults on social media and all the posts, but I tried to stay tough. But I reached a point in my life where I almost lost it mentally.
When Mum passed on — my everything, my prayer partner — the politics, the backlash, the insults, you know?
There was one video I watched. They were mocking me, saying I don’t have a husband. Women dancing and mocking me. I broke down. I cried and cried and cried. Then I told myself, you need to speak to someone about this. You can’t continue like this. You need to speak up, you understand?
And I reached out, and I started speaking. I felt better. Things I couldn’t tell others, I told my therapist. And now I’m better. So I want to advise you out there: it’s very important for you to speak up. Yes.”
A year back, Funke replied a Twitter user who advised her to get remarried. The tweep had urged her to get remarried in 2024, pointing out how the filmmaker is getting old, and Funke responded by appreciating him for the advice, noting how he was the wedding planner.
Funke Akindele has been married twice; first to Adeola Oloyede and JJC Skillz.
In 2022, JJC shocked the world when he announced the end of his 7-year-old union to the actress, as he admitted that the marriage had been having issues, and revealed that the actress asked him to leave her house, and refused any form of amicable communication with him.
Speaking on their separation, Funke in an interview with Legit.ng revealed that their vision and dreams of what their marriage should look like no longer aligned, and all efforts to make it work fell on de@f ears, hence, their decision to split.
Akindele was also married to Adeola Kehinde Oloyede in 2013, but they divorced in May 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.
