Connect with us

Entertainment

‘77% of Nigerian women bleach their skin’ — Nollywood actress Beverly Naya speaks up

Nollywood actress Beverly Naya has opened up about the personal experience that inspired her Netflix documentary Skin, tracing it back to bullying she faced as a teenager in London.

Speaking on the One54 Podcast, Naya explained that although the bullying she experienced growing up wasn’t rooted in colourism specifically, it deeply affected her self-esteem during her formative years.

After relocating to Nigeria, she said she initially wanted to start an anti-bullying campaign, but felt the idea needed sharper focus to genuinely resonate with audiences. During her research, she came across a quote attributed to Willie Lynch, a figure some historians dispute ever existed, allegedly describing a strategy to divide Black people by skin complexion. Whatever its origins, Naya said the idea stuck with her once she connected it to modern data on skin bleaching in Nigeria.

According to the World Health Organisation, 77% of Nigerian women use skin bleaching products, the highest rate recorded on the continent, compared to 59% in Togo, 35% in South Africa and 27% in Senegal.

Naya said that statistic, paired with the historical quote, is what ultimately shaped the direction of Skin. She pointed to a cultural hierarchy around complexion in Nigeria, where lighter skin is often treated as more desirable, and said she saw the culture around bleaching as its own form of bullying that had never been properly named or discussed.

She recalled how dark-skinned people were often casually insulted using derogatory terms, without the behaviour ever being classified as discriminatory. Naya said the documentary was her way of giving that pattern a name, colourism, while highlighting the health effects of bleaching and encouraging people to embrace their natural skin tone.

“That’s basically what inspired that movement,” she said of the project, noting that Skin premiered on Netflix roughly two weeks after George Floyd died in 2020, a period marked by heightened global conversations around race.

Beyond the documentary’s origin story, Naya used the conversation to reflect on her broader journey between London, Lagos and New York, discussing how moving across three continents shaped her identity, accent and worldview.

She also spoke about her decision to build her career in New York rather than Los Angeles, and shared thoughts on protecting her mental health while navigating fame, comparison culture and public scrutiny.

Naya, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Africa honoree, has continued to expand her work as an actress, filmmaker and producer since Skin’s release, with the documentary remaining one of the more widely discussed projects to tackle colourism within Nollywood and the broader Nigerian entertainment industry.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Charly Boy celebrates daughter’s engagement to a Woman

Veteran Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has publicly celebrated the engagement of his daughter, Adaeze, to a woman, drawing a wide range of reactions from Nigerians online. Charly Boy shared a video from the engagement ceremony on his Instagram page on Thursday, referring to the couple as his “beautiful Princess and her Husband” and asking his followers to extend their well wishes. “Folks, wish dem well for me,” he wrote.

Adaeze also announced the engagement herself, sharing a photo with her partner alongside the caption “WE’RE ENGAGED!” and the hashtag #mrsandmrsgray2027. She expressed excitement about the relationship in her post, writing, “Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, growth, and making beautiful memories together. I can’t wait for everything God has in store for us. Forever sounds even sweeter with you.”

The announcement quickly drew attention online, with reactions split between congratulatory comments and criticism, reflecting Nigeria’s broader social and legal climate around same-sex relationships, where such unions remain both criminalised and widely stigmatised. Adaeze was previously married to a man, Metu Anu, in a traditional wedding held in Abuja in February 2018, a union that later ended in divorce.

This isn’t the first time a member of the Oputa family has publicly navigated a same-sex relationship. Charly Boy’s other daughter, Dominique “Dewy” Oputa, is also known to be in a relationship with a woman, both daughters currently reside outside Nigeria.

Charly Boy, also known as Area Fada, has built a decades-long career and public persona around unconventional, often boundary-pushing views on social and cultural issues in Nigeria. He has spoken previously about surviving prostate cancer, being sexually abused by a nanny during his childhood, and long-standing tension within his own nearly 50-year marriage to his wife, Diane.

He has also addressed public speculation about his own gender expression and sexuality directly, arguing that embracing traits often associated with femininity does not diminish a man’s identity.

The entertainer has 10 children and 14 grandchildren in total, and has continued to speak openly about his family throughout his public career, even as his views have periodically placed him at odds with more conservative segments of Nigerian society.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Tyler Perry reveals why he has chosen to stay away from marriage

American filmmaker, actor, and playwright Tyler Perry has revealed why he has no interest in marriage, saying his biggest concern is not the institution itself but the financial and emotional toll of divorce. Perry disclosed in a recent interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show that his view of marriage is largely shaped by what he has witnessed happen to people after their relationships end.

“Nope, it’s not the marriage that bothers me; it’s the divorce. Everybody that I know who did well and went broke, it was because of a divorce, so I’m good being free.”

The filmmaker also described some of the thoughts that come to mind when he considers marriage, including the possibility of being hurt or betrayed by a partner.

“What makes me think about marriage is that you are no good, heartbreaker, you’re a cheat, and I don’t know why I let you do this to me. That’s what I think about.”

Beyond his views on marriage, Perry also opened up about grief and the difficulty of losing someone close to him, particularly his late mother, Maxine Perry.

“The thing that people don’t get is the stuff we deal with and the loss of a mother and how hard that is. I believe that people have angels that have gone on, but they are still looking out over, and that’s how I feel towards my mother. She used to say so many amazing things to me.”

Perry has often spoken about his mother’s influence on his life and career. His upbringing and experiences with family have also featured prominently in his storytelling, particularly through characters and themes centred on faith, resilience, family and overcoming hardship.

The filmmaker has built one of Hollywood’s most successful independent entertainment empires through films, television shows and stage productions.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Reconciliation with ex-husband Churchill helped women restore broken relationships-Tonto Dikeh

Actress Tonto Dikeh has revealed how her reconciliation with her ex-husband, Olakunle Churchill, inspired her to help at least 10 women restore broken relationships with the fathers of their children. Dikeh shared this while urging single mothers to let go of hurt and embrace forgiveness for their own peace and healing.

According to the actress, her reconciliation with Churchill prompted several women in similar situations to reach out to her for guidance on how she overcame the pain of their decade-long dispute.

Ever since my reconciliation with my ex-husband, hundreds of women have reached out asking the same question: How did you learn to forgive?

While I couldn’t reply to everyone, I reached out to those whose pain mirrored my own. Today, to the glory of God, at least 10 women have been reconciled, restoring peace, healing hearts, and stepping into healthy co-parenting. God has truly turned my personal story into a tool for restoration.

If you are carrying bitterness today, please hear this: Forgiveness is never for the person who hurt you; it is for you. It is the key to moving your life forward. God will not inflict pain on others just because we are hurting,” she explained

Dikeh added that women who struggle with broken relationships should trust God rather than remain trapped in bitterness.

“True closure doesn’t come from people; it comes from God. He promises to restore the years that the cankerworm has eaten. Not just days or weeks, but years. Every tear you’ve shed and every year spent in pain will be turned into a powerful testimony.”

Dikeh’s message comes months after she announced the end of her long-running feud with Churchill, the father of her son, King Andre.

The former couple got married in 2015, but their marriage collapsed less than two years later. Their separation became a highly publicised dispute, with both parties involved in several accusations and public exchanges. Their disagreements also extended to issues around their son, with custody and co-parenting becoming part of the conflict. After years of hostility, Dikeh announced in January 2026 that she and Churchill had reconciled.

Continue Reading

Trending