Entertainment

Will Smith Slapped with a 10-Year Ban by Oscar’s Board

Actor Will Smith has received a 10 year ban from the academy board from all of its events including the Oscars.

The Oscar’s verdict is coming two weeks after that eventful Oscar’s night when Smith took to stage to slap Chris Rock after the comedian made a bad joke about his wife Jada Pickett Smith’s hair loss condition known as alopecia, while he was about to make a presentation.

Though that night ended well for Smith as he received his first ever Oscar for his titular role in King Richard, the sweet taste of snapping the highly coveted award soon turned sour as the actor soon began to face the repercussions of what many have adjudged to have been an assault on Rock. And Yes many also believe that Rock’s joke was a bad one but not enough to excuse Smith’s out-of-character response.

Netflix as well as a couple of other studio pulled the plug on projects involving Smith and now the Oscar’s board has decided on axing the Bad Boys actor for a full decade.

Will Smith had prior to this ban resigned from the Academy but this didn’t result in any leniency from the guys at the board.

The Academy board in their statement as obtained by Variety said that they hoped the verdict would serve to pacify Smith’s victim

“This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted,” the board said

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences board also apologized for not responding to the situation earlier on and hopes that Smith’s huge penalty makes up for their oversight.

“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.”

The Board also lauded Rock for his professionalism with handling the situation which was so well done that some viewers thought the slap was part of the act for his presentation.

“We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.”

To the board’s verdict Will Smith has responded saying; “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

There have been calls to strip Smith of his Oscar statute but the Oscars has said it has no legal grounds to do this citing that convicted actors like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski still posses their respective Oscar awards.

On a brighter note, neither does the ban nor Smith’s resignation prevent him from receiving Oscar nods or even winning another one of their golden statutes.

Entertainment

Housemates see each other naked almost every day – BBN’s Adekunle

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Adekunle Olapade has added his voice to the controversy surrounding intimate videos from the ongoing edition of the reality show. Tagged the 10 over 10 season, intimate videos of housemates on the Season 10 of the BBNaija show have been making the rounds online, and they have drawn criticism from a section of fans of the show.

Some of the intimate videos have involved housemates Koyin and Isabella, Jason Jae and Sultana, as well as evicted Kayikumi and Isabella.

However, addressing critics of the intimate videos during a podcast interview with Pulse, Adekunle described them as ‘hypocrites’ as he insisted that it is perfectly okay for two consenting adults to get intimate with each other if they so decide.

Drawing on his experience as a former housemate on the show, Adekunle noted that it is commonplace for housemates to see each other naked.

He therefore explained that it shouldn’t surprise anyone if two adults of opposite genders who have seen each other naked become sexually attracted to each other.

Adekunle said, “A lot of people who watch the Big Brother Naija reality show are very hypocritical. Secondly, there is actually nothing wrong with two people who like each other deciding to get intimate.

“All the housemates see each other naked, in case you don’t know. So, you cannot be in a house with someone you see without clothes almost every day and not be attracted to that person. It won’t work.”

Adekunle has appeared on the BBNaija show twice: first, in 2022, on the BBNaija ‘Level Up’ season, and then again as a housemate on the ‘All Stars’ season one year later.

Entertainment

Phyna’s sister passes away after a truck accident

Ruth’s death comes following her involvement in an accident where she was hit by a Dangote truck. The sad news was announced in a statement released via Phyna’s Instagram page on Sunday.

The statement reads, “We remain Solicitors to Ruth Otabor, Josephine Otabo (Whose moniker is Phyna) and the Otabor Family and have their instruction to inform the public this.

“With a heavy heart, the family regrets to announce the passing on to glory of their daughter, sister, and mother on this 31st Day of August 2025 at about 06:30.

“The Family is presently grieving and would appreciate being given a private moment to mourn the departed. The funeral arrangement will be communicated to the oubluc in due course.”

The news of Ruth’s demise comes hours after reports started spreading online that Phyna is down and has been hospitalised. A photo of Phyna lying on a hospital bed had gone viral online amid the reports.

However, Nollywood filmmaker Stanley Ontop has dismissed the reports as false, claiming the photo was not genuine but taken from a movie set in Asaba, where Phyna is currently working on a film.

He explained that the hospital scene was part of a production and that the medical props, including the drip and hospital gown, were costumes belonging to a local team member.

Initially believing she was truly hospitalised, Stanley said he felt misled after learning the image was staged.

He criticised Phyna for creating false impressions, especially after many people had publicly defended and supported her.

According to him, Phyna had only received minor treatment, such as drips and injections at her hotel, and was never admitted to any hospital.

He heavily fumed over what he described as a deliberate attempt to manipulate public sympathy, stating that such actions could damage credibility and trust.

Entertainment

Toke Makinwa welcomes a newborn baby girl

Nigerian media personality Toke Makinwa is on cloud nine after revealing the birth of her first child, a baby girl, after many years of waiting. She shared the big news on her Instagram page, where she posted pictures of her newborn holding her thumb, with the caption, “I’m a Mommy…… This is the happiest I’ve ever been.”

She also shared the names of the newborn, which included Yoruba, Hebrew, and English names that captured the blessings and beauty of her birth.

“Yakira Eliana, Olakitan, Iyanuoluwa, Ikeoluwa, Adunola, Meet my miracle, Yakira Eliana — Precious, Beloved — of great worth, My God has answered.”

Well-wishers have flooded the comment section of her Instagram posts, congratulating the 40-year-old, who joins the list of Nigerian celebrity mothers.

Media Personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Actor and Media Personality Uti Nwachukwu, actress Tonto Dike, and many other celebrities commented on the post.

Toke Makinwa’s baby is walking into the world with a wardrobe full of designers waiting for her.

In a post on her Instagram account, the media personality showed off the designer gifts her celebrity friends have showered the newborn with.

From luxury brands like Chanel, to personalised keepsakes, Toke described the unboxing as more than just showing off items, but a dream she had waited years to experience.

“For me, this is not just an unboxing video but such a priceless moment because I’ve waited so long to do this,” she wrote.

While celebrating the defining moment in her life, Toke shared a word of kindness and hope to all those waiting on a miracle, whether for marriage, children, health, or career breakthroughs.

“Live your life, you are not defined by what has not yet happened for you,” she encouraged.

For a celebrity who has been in the news for over a decade, Toke Makinwa’s pregnancy announcement expectedly sparked reactions online. Some accused her of faking the baby bump, which led Afrobeats queen Tiwa Savage and Nollywood box office giant Funke Akindele to speak in her defence.

In the world of celebrity babies, the newborn will be walking into a life of glitz and glamour as the biggest gift to one of Nigeria’s most talked-about celebrities.