Nollywood actor, IK Ogbonna had recently filed a lawsuit against vlogger, Bold Pink who called him gay. The controversial YouTuber, real name Joyce Boakye, had asked the actor to come out of the closet after accusing him of “abandoning his wife, Sonia, and going after Nollywood actors to sleep with”.
In an interview with Punch Newspaper, IK Ogbonna has opened up on what influenced his decision to take a legal action stating that as an ambassador of the movie industry in Nigeria, he would fight against online trolling.
IK Ogbonna said, “I am not just an actor, I represent Nollywood. Trolling people on social media is growing by the day. They have seen it as a cheap means to get followers on social media. I blame the media to some extent because they hardly celebrate the good things about celebrities. I am a father, these days; our kids are on social media so they get to see these things. I got a lot of calls from my senior colleagues, most of them were really bitter about it. If people feel that they can just come on social media to say whatever they want to say, then they should be ready to face the consequences of their actions.
“There are people out there that would believe anything they see or hear on social media hook, line and sinker without researching or trying to meet the person in question. I have nothing against gay people, everybody can live their life however they want to, but it is wrong to impose sexuality on someone. She made a video with such allegations against me. The video had so much bitterness and anger in it as if she was paid to indict me. The first time I heard about the video was when someone called to ask if I had offended anyone. When I saw it, I laughed over it and I didn’t even think about it so much,” he told the paper.
The actor added, “My senior colleagues in the industry advised me not to let it slide, stressing that if something lingers for a long time, it could become a stigma. There is freedom of speech, but even at that, they should be ready to face the consequence. I do not even know the girl’s name; my lawyers are the ones handling the case. They have written to the US embassy and human rights organization. I really don’t want to hurt anybody or spoil anyone’s career but whatever comes out of it; she brought it upon herself. I am not out for her downfall at all. People should learn that you don’t have to bring anybody down to rise in life. I have built my brand to this stage, I started from scratch. Cyberbullying goes beyond what we see on the internet. It has led people to depression“
The actor was further questioned on the troubles in his marriage to Sonia who now describes herself as ‘single’. IK said, “You are not divorced until you are divorced, as long as an individual has not divorced who they married, they are still married (sic). At the end of the day, no one knows what happens in my house. I cannot come out to tell the press every single thing that happens in my home. I am a social media person. I enjoy posting things online. I use my life to inspire people positively.
“In every relationship, there are always issues. Sometimes the issues can linger for a long time; it could crash the union or make it stronger. I am a human being, for me; I feel any woman married to a celebrity should be given an award. I give kudos to every woman married to a celebrity it is not an easy situation for anyone,”
