Actress Funke Akindele has opened up about the emotional toll of facing online backlash, revealing how she was mocked by a woman for not having a husband and how she eventually overcame the situation.
The 47-year-old shared her experience during an intimate conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo at the debut of his talk show, #WithChude Live, on Sunday.
She recalled, “There was a video on social media that some women mocked me that I don’t have a husband. My God. I see all the insults on social media. I see all the posts that show how I left one husband for another one.”
The actress, who has been open about her past struggles, admitted that the constant trolling took a deep emotional toll on her. “I cried, cried, and cried. I just told myself, you need to speak to someone about this. You can’t continue like this.”
Funke continued, revealing how speaking to others helped her heal, “I told myself that I needed to speak, I reached out, and I started speaking.
After then, I felt better. Things I couldn’t tell people out there. I spoke to my therapist and I was better.”
She also offered advice to others facing similar challenges, “So, I want to advise you out there. It’s very important for you to speak up. You need it. You can’t take everything. I’m a very strong person now. I have that strength to face any challenges in life.”
Funke reflected on how the mockery ultimately made her stronger. “After the whole blackmailing, I got tougher. I started putting the story about my life into writing, even though I almost lost it mentally, but I used the mockery to produce a film,” she said.
In her conversation with Jideonwo, Funke also shared her triumphs in the film industry. She proudly mentioned crossing the one billion views mark with one of her films at the box office, defying the doubts of a filmmaker who told her it couldn’t be done.
“One of my priorities is to empower the next filmmakers and to create several movie stars in the Nollywood industry,” she said, underscoring her commitment to uplifting others in the entertainment sector.
Other notable personalities at the event included Jerry Eze, Chimamanda Adichie, Veekee James, Moses Bliss, Taaooma, and Hauwa Lawal.
Funke Akindele has been through two failed marriages, both of which attracted public attention.
In 2012, she married Nigerian businessman Kehinde Oloyede, but the marriage ended in 2013 after just a year, with Oloyede citing irreconcilable differences. The dissolution of their marriage was surrounded by controversy, with allegations of infidelity and interference from family members.
In 2016, Funke married Nigerian rapper and producer JJC Skillz (Abdulrasheed Bello), and they shared a more private relationship for a time. The couple welcomed twin boys in 2018. However, after seven years of marriage, they announced their separation in 2022, with JJC Skillz revealing that they had been experiencing marital challenges for two years.
Funke confirmed the separation, emphasizing that they had grown apart and were focused on co-parenting their children.
