There’s been growing tension in Nollywood following an on-set altercation between actors Taye Arimoro and Peggy Ovire, which has now spilled onto social media.
In a viral Instagram Live session, Taye Arimoro alleged that the misunderstanding began after he attempted to leave the movie location past his agreed contract time. According to him, his contract for the day was meant to end by 11 p.m., but he was held back beyond that hour.
The actor claimed that despite staying until around midnight, he was still prevented from leaving. He alleged that Peggy Ovire, who was also on set, instructed her driver to block his car to stop him from driving out.
In the video, Taye Arimoro appeared visibly upset and showed what looked like injuries to his lips and gums, claiming he was assaulted during the confrontation. He further alleged that his car tires were deflated amid the chaos, leaving him stranded.
The video quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions from fans and colleagues who called for restraint and professionalism on film sets.
However, Peggy Ovire has since given her own version of events, strongly denying Taye Arimoro’s claims and accusing the actor of being the aggressor. In a series of Instagram Story posts, the actress accused Arimoro of physically attacking crew members and her driver. She wrote:
“Taye, you beat up two crew members simply because you felt they had no voice, no social media presence, no one to speak for them.
They were only begging you to please complete two short scenes so we could wrap the night.”
Peggy went on to explain that the actor had become upset after she asked him to film one last quick scene before shooting his behind-the-scenes video, as the car being used in the scene needed to leave. According to her, this was when his attitude changed, leading to a heated argument.
She also recounted a previous working relationship with Arimoro, saying she had always treated him with kindness. She recalled:
“From our first job together, I’ve always shown you care. When you were sick and couldn’t film, I made sure you didn’t drive yourself. You threw up in my hands, and I cleaned you up.”
The actress said things escalated when the production manager tried to appeal to Taye for more time, alleging that the actor punched the manager several times before her driver stepped in to intervene. Peggy added:
“By the time I came outside, you were struggling over the car keys. I tried to intervene and asked you to please calm down and hand me the keys, but you drove off while I was still beside the car.
“Moments later, I discovered my driver was bleeding from his ear after being hit multiple times by you. I was shocked.”
Peggy also shared photos of the alleged victim, stating that no one deserves such treatment. She wrote:
“This was all you, but you didn’t record when you did this to him. So because he’s not a star, he deserves your disrespect?.”
The incident has since divided opinions online, with some fans calling for an official investigation into what transpired on set. Others urged both actors to resolve the issue privately instead of escalating it publicly. See screenshot of the posts below:
