Celebrities who made headlines for the right and wrong reasons in 2021 – Part 1

Moviedom takes a look back at some of the major screen celebrities who were in the news for the right and wrong reasons in 2021 — starting with those who were in the news for the wrong reasons…..

Tonto Dikeh
If there is any Nollywood celebrity that has made news for years for all the wrong reasons, then it’s the notable actress Tonto Dikeh.

‘King Tonto’, as she is simply called and an alias she got after the birth of her son, King Andre and after the crash of her marriage to socialite, Churchill, has remained one of the most controversial entertainers in the industry. Tonto courts controversies and controversies seem to follow her everywhere she goes. The Rivers state actress, humanitarian and activist recently owned up that she seems to be the most controversial person on earth.

The actress revealed at the TEDx Ikenegbu programme titled “Leveraging on controversy’ that she is probably one of the most controversial people on earth and proudly so. “And the only reason why I can be proud of it is that I’m not fighting it. I’m using it to my advantage. I’m using it for my growth’’ she said. Indeed if the crown of the most controversial Nollywood celebrity of 2021 should be awarded, Dikeh will rightly pick the award, not with her recent failed relationship which has remained an item on social media.

Chinwetalu Agu
Veteran actor, writer and producer Chinwetalu Agu got himself in the news for the wrong reasons when he was arrested by men of the Nigerian Army in Onitsha, Anambra State. The actor was arrested after men of the Nigerian Army on patrol spotted him wearing an outfit made from the Biafra flag.

The actor was subsequently detained first by the Nigerian Army, later by the Department of State Services (DSS) before he was eventually released through the intervention of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and the effort of Constitutional Lawyer Mike Ozekhome, An actor of vast credit, Agu’s arrest first by the Nigerian Army and then the Department of State Securities (DSS) slowed the beat for the actor of many credits who is best known for his usage of specific language slang, phrases or clichés as a refrain in many films. Close observers say the versatile actor has smarted off the incident and will surely get his rhythm back in the New Year.

Yomi Fabiyi and Iyabo Ojo
Actor and Producer Yomi Fabiyi and notable actress Iyabo Ojo were in the news for the wrong reasons for the better part of the year. Even though they are newsmakers by their individual accomplishments, what pitched these actors in a fierce battle to date is the alleged child molestation case involving notable Yoruba comic actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka who is popular, as Baba Ijesha.

Iyabo Ojo who has been vocal in condemning the alleged act of child molestation had via her Instagram page, published a letter signed by her lawyers, demanding N100 million as payment for damages caused by Yomi Fabiyi’s ‘defamatory publication’ during a protest that Fabiyi held in Lagos to demand that ‘Baba Ijesha be granted bail’.

Recall that Baba Ijesha, who is popular amongst fans of movies in the Yoruba language, became a news item when he was accused of molesting a 14-year old foster child of the comedienne Damilola Adekoya otherwise known as Princess.

Fabiyi had led some people to stage a protest at the premises of Panti Police Station in Yaba, Lagos demanding that Baba Ijesha who at the time was under the custody of the police, be granted bail. However, Iyabo Ojo’s worry is with a defamatory publication that she alleged that Fabiyi made on his Instagram handle and during the protest by Fabiyi. The pretty actress had through her lawyers demanded a publication of full retraction of the said defamatory publication.

In addition, Ojo demanded that ‘’N100m must be paid as damages for the unjustifiable injury and losses’’ occasioned by the defamatory publication. Nothing has been heard about the case except that recently Fabiyi reportedly asked for a truce between them and even congratulated Ojo on her recent birthday commemoration, but the actress has not replied, yet. Will Ojo’s response put the two again in the news for the wrong reason?

Desmond Elliot
Notable Nollywood actor and Lagos lawmaker Desmond Olusola Elliot was in the news for the wrong reasons during the year. The actor became a subject of merciless trolls on social media when a Twitter user mocked the public toilet that the actor built in the Surulere area of Lagos.

Recalled that Desmond Elliot had built a toilet for his constituents in 2020. However, the commissioning of the toilet was greeted with rounds of merciless and hilarious trolls across social media platforms. Twitter users recalled the infamous toilet saga and they have not spared the actor of vast credit and politician who still finds time to do some acting. No doubt, the actor has had more than a taste of cyberbullying within the last two years.

The most recent round of merciless trolling he got was when he reportedly declared in an interview that he was a product of ‘godfatherism’. But the trollers seem to have ceased fire. They may have accepted the assurances of the actor who reportedly promised to improve and do better in areas that they think he has not performed well.

Olanrewaju Omiyinka Aka Baba Ijesha
Notable Yoruba actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka who is popular as Baba Ijesha has been in the news for the wrong reasons for months now.

The actor who is popular amongst fans of movies in the Yoruba language became a news item when he was accused of molesting a 14-year old foster child of the comedienne Damilola Adekoya otherwise known as Princess. It first started as the mere rumour that the actor was caught trying to rape a minor. Hours later, a CCTV footage, which the comedienne reportedly “arranged” went viral.

The footage showed the 48-year actor and the teenager engaged in acts that suggested molestation. Before then, a video of the actor begging to be forgiven surfaced. That was all sympathizers needed to call out the actor who is currently standing trial in a Lagos Court.

Jim Iyke
Although the rift is over between them, Popular and long-standing Nollywood actor Jim Iyke and actor and social media influencer Uche Maduagwu made news for the wrong reasons after both were involved in a nasty fight in August 2021. A viral video surfaced on social media revealing Iyke was involved in a nasty fight with Maduagwu who is famous for being a social media troll. Iyke was seen in the video pouncing on Maduagwu after Maduagwu called Iyke a ritualist. Maduagwu also called on the anti-corruption body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Iyke.

Many thought that it was a stunt to promote a new movie by Iyke, but the actor stressed in an interview that the incident was not a stunt but that he had gone to dialogue with Maduagwu when the incident escalated and made the front page on some tabloids, blogs and websites.