Veteran Nollywood actress Moji Afolayan has spoken out about the painful consequences she faced for refusing to give in to sexual advances from powerful movie marketers during the early stages of her career.
In a heartfelt interview with Oyinmomo TV, the 57-year-old actress, daughter of the late iconic filmmaker Adeyemi ‘Adelove’ Afolayan, recounted how her refusal to compromise her values led to blacklisting, financial hardship, and professional isolation in the Nigerian film industry.
According to her, film marketers based in Idumota, Lagos—who controlled much of the funding and casting decisions in the formative years of Nollywood—often demanded sexual favors from actresses as a condition for roles or promotion. Her refusal to engage in these exploitative demands made her a target.
“At that time, when marketers from Idumota used to fund movie productions, they expected something in return,” she said. “But because of the way I was raised, I could not trade my body for movie roles. My husband, who married me, has not even done certain things. You can see I am speaking in parables.”
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Moji explained that her rejection of these offers led to a deliberate and organized effort to push her out of the industry.
“They called a meeting and agreed not to work with me. Simply because I did not sleep with them or offer them my body. That was the price I paid.”
Despite the personal and professional cost, Moji stood by her decision and said she has no regrets about protecting her dignity and self-respect.
“I thank God I stood with my values. That is what I enjoy today. I remained a virgin until I got married, and I’m proud of that. I stand out now not because I compromised, but because I stayed true to myself.”
She also spoke about how some of her peers—many of whom were married—succumbed to the pressure from marketers, trading their bodies for fame.
“Many of them had their husbands outside while being involved with marketers inside. I am exposing secrets now. They would say, ‘Is it only my husband I should be with?’ and I’d wonder, all because you want help?”
While some of those actresses gained popularity and became household names, Moji said the relationships that got them there were unsustainable and led to problems once they tried to become independent.
“They were made stars, yes. Their faces were everywhere. But when they tried to become independent, the fallout was inevitable. There was conflict. That kind of relationship cannot last.”
She also recalled the experience of a late colleague who faced a similar fate after refusing a marketer’s sexual proposition.
“There was a lady, she’s now late, who submitted her film to a marketer at Arena. It was rejected after she refused his advances. She later told me to stay noble and narrated how that marketer boasted about the number of women he had slept with in the industry.”
Though her principled stand cost her visibility and income at the height of her career, Moji said she is content with her legacy, especially now that digital platforms have opened new doors for content creators.
“It affected me financially and made me less visible at a time when posters were everything. But now, with YouTube and social media, we’ve been given another platform. Even my husband knows how much I cherish my body. I value it above fame or money.”
