- Oba Adeyemi publicly questioned Funke Akindele’s response after veteran actor Ogogo’s death sparked online backlash against the filmmaker
- The critic claimed he found no condolence message from Funke Akindele on social media and raised concerns about her absence from Ogogo’s burial in Ilaro
- Funke Akindele had faced criticism for posting birthday photos around the time the Nollywood industry was mourning the death of Taiwo Hassan, aka Ogogo
Oba Adeyemi has waded into the controversy surrounding Funke Akindele’s conduct following the death of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, raising pointed questions about what he believes was an inadequate response from the actress and filmmaker.
In a recent interview, Oba Adeyemi acknowledged that Akindele may have scheduled her birthday posts before news of Ogogo’s passing broke, but argued that the situation still required a public response from her.
Credit: @funkeakindele, @ogogotaiwohassan
Source: Instagram
According to him, a clarification or apology video would have gone a long way in dousing the public outrage that followed.
“I can’t say she’s a child because if she were to be, we would say fame and wealth got into her head. But I believe she had scheduled the post a night before the death of Ogogo. While I feel like her brain has small problem is because she should have apologized or lied after the dragging. That would’ve clarified the dragging. There was no proof that she was at Ilaro, during Ogogo’s burial. Let’s even say she didn’t want to miss her birthday, she should’ve included a photo of Ogogo and say that her birthday would’ve been sweeter but Ogogo’s death was a huge loss to her,” he said.
Akindele’s Birthday Post Amid Industry Mourning
The controversy started after Funke Akindele, 49, marked her birthday with a series of polished photos on social media.
In her post, she reflected on her journey, expressing gratitude to God and speaking about seasons of wins, lessons and personal challenges.
The timing, however, drew criticism from many Nigerians who felt the celebration was tone-deaf given that the industry was simultaneously grieving Ogogo’s passing.
Oba Adeyemi further claimed he could not find any condolence message for Ogogo on Akindele’s social media pages and questioned whether she attended the burial ceremony held in Ilaro.
See the Instagram video of Oba Adeyemi’s interview:
Debate Over Public Figures and Grief
His comments have since stirred fresh debate online, with opinions divided over whether celebrities should be held to a standard of publicly acknowledging every loss within their industry.
Some feel Akindele’s silence spoke volumes, while others argue that grief is personal and public figures should not be compelled to perform mourning for public consumption.
Legit.ng had earlier reported that Akindele’s birthday post drew significant backlash from a section of her followers who felt she ought to have held back her celebration out of respect for the fallen Nollywood icon.
Credit: @funkejenifaakindele
Source: Instagram
Funke Akindele speaks on sacrifices for success
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele revealed the immense personal sacrifices she made while producing Behind The Scenes, which has grossed ₦2.7 billion at the Nigerian box office.
She disclosed that the project demanded sleepless nights, missed meals, and abandoning social events to stay fully committed to her work.
The actress was finally enjoying rest and self-care after the film’s remarkable commercial success.
Source: Legit.ng