Veteran Yoruba actress Ronke Odusanya has talked candidly about her terrifying early career and the severe pressure and harassment she encountered as a busty actress in Nigeria’s film business.
Odusanya discussed her personal experience with the frequently criticized and enduring problem of sex-for-roles in Nollywood in an interview with Akede Ariya Online TV.
According to the actress, the practice is not isolated to a specific section of the industry but exists across both Yoruba-language and English-language sectors.
She recounted being pressured by a notable producer, identified as Alhaji Rasheed, who allegedly told her she could only gain ground in Nollywood if she agreed to enter a romantic relationship with fellow actor Femi Adebayo.
Despite her consistent refusals and pleas, she said the producer remained adamant, claiming that many of her peers were already engaging in similar arrangements to secure roles and rise to fame.
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Odusanya described the experience as deeply troubling, stating that the producer repeatedly threatened to hinder her progress in the film industry if she did not comply.
The pressure reportedly continued for a period of time, making it difficult for her to secure acting opportunities during her formative years as an actress. She also revealed that the situation only changed when Femi Adebayo himself intervened
She said: “Sex-for-roles is real, and it happens not only in the Yoruba movie industry but in Nollywood as a whole. I have seen it happen before, where a director or producer insists that unless you date them or sleep with them, you can never progress or succeed in the movie industry. It happened to me. I remember when I was younger and still upcoming in Nollywood, a producer Alhaji Rasheed would often tell me to date Femi Adebayo. He said that if I refused, he wouldn’t give me any opportunities in the industry. I would plead with him, but he always insisted that I had to sleep with him because most of my peers were doing the same just to get roles. After several threats from him, Femi Adebayo eventually walked up to him one day and warned him to leave me alone and stop harassing me.”
Watch her interview below
