Actress Peggy Ovire has responded to her colleague Taye Arimoro, who recently issued a legal warning against her over an on-set altercation.
Peggy, married to actor Frederick Leonard, denied the allegations in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying, “His claims are misleading, selective and materially false.” She added that Taye is twisting the entire incident to suit his narrative.
According to Peggy, the issue started when Taye was asked to return to the set. Instead, she said, he “assaulted the Production Manager, Luke Obayi,” before allegedly head-butting her driver, Joshua Madu, leaving him bleeding from the ear and nose. Witnesses reportedly provided statements to the police confirming his aggressive behavior.
The letter said that Taye tried to flee immediately after the incident and any attempt to stop him was to prevent him from escaping before police arrived. She maintained that she never assaulted him, explaining that the only physical contact was when she pushed him lightly after he allegedly attempted to deflate her tyres.
She captioned her post, “Until the police investigation is Concluded, let it be clear that my Silence Should not be mistaken for Cowardice.”
Taye, in a viral video, had accused Peggy and her crew of assaulting him on set. He said, “I said I want to go home, but they don’t want me to. You’re holding me against my will … Why would you block me? I can’t go to my house again? … I told you, if it’s 12 p.m., I’m out.” He also showed visible injuries to his gums and lips and claimed that his car tyres were deflated.
Taye filed legal complaints demanding a public apology and N100 million in compensation.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria has since condemned the violence, urging professionals to resolve disputes through proper channels.
