Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has opened up on online bullying and the death of her protege, Jumoke Aderounmu.
While speaking during Chude Jideonwo’s Live talk show, she recalled how she was bullied and insulted on social media over her demise. The movie star revealed she was going through depression during the death of Jumoke, and the bullying from online trolls worsened her mental health.
She said she took her phone, entered the room and locked the door so that another protege, Juliana Olayode, wouldn’t open the door. She, however, expressed gratitude to her Maker that she didn’t end up killing herself over the girl’s demise.
Funke also made it known that she sees all the insults on social media, and though she is a strong woman, she gets to a stage where she loses it mentally.
“I see all the insults on social media… and I am a strong woman (but) it got to a stage when I almost lost it mentally when people called me out for something I didn’t do when an actress on ‘Jenifa’ passed on and people said I didn’t help her… and I was already depressed myself.
“So I took my phone, entered the room and locked the door so that Juliana and co couldn’t open the door.
“Some people lock the door and go and kill themselves. I thank God I only locked the door to go on live video.”
Refreshing your memory, last year, late Jumoke Aderounmu’s brother had dragged Funke for abandoning his late sister. Adeola had tackled Funke for publicly mourning her when she had abandoned his sister during her dying moments.
Reacting to his claims, Funke took to her Instagram Live to break down in tears as she noted how she lost her mother, marriage, and politics and was trying to get her life back together. She debunked abandoning Jumoke as she never knew she was sick.
Many of her colleagues had defended her. Bimbo Akisanya recalled how 10 years ago, the late Folake Oshadare, one of Nollywood’s make-up artists had revealed to her how Funke was sending monthly money for her medication as she was a cancer patient.
Her protege, Juliana Olayode had showered encomium on Funke as she recalled how the movie star emptied her account to save her mother’s life as she was battling Fibroid.
Actor Alesh Sanni recalled how years ago when he posted someone who needed a huge amount for medical bills, she reached out and sent the money and told him not to post it. He noted how it wasn’t once or twice, Funke had done this.
