Drama as Funke Akindele snubs Toyin Abraham at movie premiere

A viral video is causing a stir in Nollywood after actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele appeared to ignore her colleague Toyin Abraham during a recent movie premiere in Lagos.

The incident took place on Sunday night at the premiere of The Return of Arinzo, a film produced by Iyabo Ojo, held at the Balmoral Event Centre.

In the circulating video, Abraham is seen approaching Akindele in what appeared to be an attempt to greet her. However, Akindele did not respond and kept her gaze elsewhere, prompting speculation among fans and industry observers.

Earlier in the footage, Abraham had greeted Ojo and Mercy Aigbe, among other colleagues at the table. While Ojo and Aigbe acknowledged her greeting, Akindele’s reaction stood out, as she appeared to deliberately ignore the gesture.

The development comes weeks after Akindele publicly called for stronger unity within the Nigerian film industry. She had urged practitioners to embrace collaboration over rivalry during the premiere of Love and New Notes, a film by actor Timini Egbuson.

Speaking on stage at the event, Akindele said, “We all need to come out to support Nollywood. We are all one. There’s no competition, it’s called collaboration. As long as you put in the hard work and dedication, you will all reach the top.”

She also praised the production quality of the film and commended the cast and crew for their efforts.

“Congratulations, Timini and Kayode (Kasum). This is the second time I am attending your movie premiere, and it’s better. I love the shots, storytelling, costumes, lighting and acting,” she said.

Akindele further highlighted the performances of some actors, noting their growth and versatility.

“Eniola (Badmus) is my good friend. I call her a comedian, but here, I saw proper acting. Kudos to the director. To my brother Odunlade (Adekola), I saw you in ‘Ginger’, and I have seen you here. You are deep,” she stated.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Akindele nor Abraham has publicly addressed the viral video or the reactions it has generated online.