Actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has dismissed long-standing rumours of a feud between her and fellow screen icon Genevieve Nnaji, describing the claims as exaggerated and untrue.
Speaking during an interview on Yanga FM, Omotola said the alleged rift was created by outsiders and not rooted in any real conflict between them.
She said, “Na them start the quarrel before we know say we dey quarrel. So, we have to catch up with the quarrel. There was no quarrel.”
The actress explained that people often assume colleagues in the entertainment industry must either be close friends or enemies, when that is not always the case.
“People don’t need to be best friends, but we talked. Like behind film, we dey talk normally,” she said.
Omotola added that the narrative surrounding her relationship with Genevieve was similar to how fans and commentators pitch successful artists against each other, especially when both are prominent figures in the same space.
“You know the same thing that they do with all these music stars like Wizkid and Davido, na we dem take start all those things that time. Really, na them start the quarrel before we know say we dey quarrel,” she said.
Both actresses rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s and are regarded as two of Nollywood’s most influential figures. Over the years, they have often been compared because of their success, global recognition and impact on the industry.
They notably appeared together in the 2010 film Ije: The Journey, a project that attracted wide attention partly because of public speculation about rivalry. Despite the rumours, both actresses have consistently maintained a professional stance and have never publicly accused each other of wrongdoing.
