Veteran actress, Moji Afolayan, has finally opened up about the real reason she went off the radar for over a decade.
For years, fans of the legendary Yoruba actress were left in the dark, wondering why the once-busy movie star suddenly vanished from their screens. Some speculated health issues, others guessed it was because of her marriage to her colleague, Ojopagogo.
But in a no-holds-barred interview on Oyinmomo TV, Moji Afolayan revealed that her disappearance wasn’t by choice. She was blacklisted by Nollywood marketers for refusing to sleep with them. Clearly emotional, the 57-year-old said:
“Because I refused their sexual advances, they held a meeting among themselves and agreed not to call me for work.”
“I did not sleep with any of them because I can’t trade my body for films. It’s my principle.”
“They denied me movie roles because I didn’t offer myself for sex. Although it affected my income and fame, but I cherish my body more than every other thing. Even my husband knows.”
According to her, the era when marketers used to sponsor movie productions came with serious unspoken conditions and for many actresses, those conditions included sexual favours.
Moji revealed that several married actresses would bring their husbands along to film locations, only to leave them waiting outside while they went in to “negotiate” roles with the marketers. She continued:
“I’m exposing their secrets now. Marketers made them stars. Their posters were all around. But I thank God that I stood with my dignity. That is what I am enjoying today.”
Despite the pain of being sidelined, and the financial blow that came with it, Moji says she has no regrets.
She credited her survival to her firm values, the support of her husband, actor Ojopagogo, and the rise of social media and YouTube, which now allow filmmakers to bypass marketers completely. She added:
“They now know how it feels because we have become social media friendly. We now push our movies on YouTube without any marketers.”
Her story has stirred emotions online, with fans praising her strength while also expressing anger over the toxic culture she endured.
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