Not One Actor Stood By Me – Jaiye Kuti Laments Lack Of Support In Nollywood

Nollywood actress Jaiye Kuti has expressed disappointment over what she described as the lack of support among actors and filmmakers in the Nigerian movie industry.

Speaking during an appearance on the Oyinmomo podcast, Kuti said many people in Nollywood face similar challenges but pretend that everything is fine instead of speaking out.

According to her, this attitude is weakening relationships within the industry and making it more difficult for practitioners to support one another.

The actress explained that producing movies requires a huge financial investment, and many people do not understand the pressure producers face to recover the money spent on making and distributing films in cinemas.

She also said the public often admires celebrities without knowing the struggles they go through behind the scenes. According to her, many of the images people see on social media do not reflect the reality of their lives.

Kuti recalled that when some cinemas removed her movie from their schedules, she spoke publicly about the situation but received no support from her colleagues, even though many of them had experienced similar challenges.

She said, “Our relationship is gradually breaking down… Everybody is just acting like it’s okay. How is it okay? The people you’re emulating and looking at as an example, do you really want to know them? The people you call celebrities and follow on social media.

“Not one actor stood by me or went those cinemas or even supported me, despite the fact that we’re all going through the same thing.

“But If I celebrate my birthday, the next day they’d wish me a happy birthday. So I stopped wishing people a happy birthday because I don’t want anyone to wish me on my birthday. Please don’t.”