Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode, known for her role as Toyosi in Funke Akindele’s popular series ‘Jenifa Diary’, issued a heartfelt apology to her senior colleague on Saturday.
Olayode took to Facebook to express her remorse and shed light on the circumstances that led to her departure from the show.
Reflecting on her rise to fame at a young age, Olayode acknowledged the pivotal role Akindele played in catapulting her into the limelight.
She confessed that comprehending the magnitude of the fame she attained through her character in the sitcom was overwhelming, especially considering her tender age and recent completion of secondary school.
However, Olayode attributed her subsequent challenges to her limited understanding of the inner workings of the entertainment industry and the misguided influence of her guardian, who served as her manager.
She divulged that her guardian had sent an email to Scene One TV, the producers of the show, without her knowledge of its contents until recently.
Olayode partly wrote, “God used Aunty Funke Akindele #funkejenifaakindele to put me into the limelight. It was a shocker for me, especially at that tender age, when I had barely left secondary school, the kind of fame I earned from playing Toyosi in Jenifa’s Diary was too enormous for my understanding.
“However, the lack of industry nitty gritty started manifesting in me, coupled with the fact that I had a guardian (manager) who didn’t understand how the entertainment industry works, and I believed anything he feels and says.
“My guardian sent an email to Scene One TV, the producers of the Sitcom, which entire content I wasn’t aware of until recently.
“The story of my goofs at the take-off of my career can not be exhausted in a million words, I want to use this opportunity to apologize to Aunty Funke Akindele, ọmọdé ò lè mọ ẹ̀kọ́ jẹ, kó má ra lọ́wọ́, I am incredibly sorry for how I hurt you and how the email that was sent hurt you.
“Please forgive me for my childish mistakes of the past, I am deeply sorry for everything.🙏 I love you eternally Aunty Funke. ❤️❤️
“NB: I just feel the burden to make this official. It’s not an attempt for people to help me beg her, I have met Aunty Funke, she has forgiven me, hugged me, prayed for me, cooked for me like she used to in those good old days, Jollof rice elemi meji, fried rice and sweet chicken.(lol)”