Nollywood actress Olayode Juliana, popularly known as Toyo Baby, has denied rumours of a rift with Funke Akindele, affirming that there is no issue between them.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Pidgin, Olayode described Funke as someone she deeply respects and loves.
She said, “Funke Akindele, she’s somebody I really respect and love. You know, I look up to her. She’s an amazing human being.”
She added that their relationship is like that of a mother and child in the industry. “So me and Funke Akindele are like mother to child, like industry mother to me. So no lele, no yawa, no nothing. Nothing dey!”
The actress also addressed her decision not to kiss in movies, maintaining that it is a personal choice rooted in her beliefs.
She said she would not accept roles that require her to kiss on screen. “Before you go see me where I go kiss for film, maybe they cast me with my husband. That’s if I marry an actor, which I don’t want to marry an actor,” she said.
She admitted that when she first entered the industry, negative comments used to affect her deeply.
“Before, when I just started for this industry, if anybody talked about me, I would cry and say, oh, I’m not like this,” she said.
However, she noted that she has grown tougher over time.
“Until you see me for real hold my shirt or slap my face, by that time, I’ll know you’re dragging me,” she added, explaining that she now ignores baseless criticism.
On her stance about purity, the actress said many people limit the concept to sexual matters alone.
“I believe personally, say, the life of purity is the life where God don call all of us to live,”she said. She added that purity goes beyond sexual behaviour. “Most times people box purity, say, okay, only sexual purity. But purity, they far beyond sexual purity. Purity in character. Purity in finances. Purity in our place of work. Purity in every area and aspect of our life. Even purity in governance.”
