Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Toyin Abraham-Ajewola have sent a shock wave through the spines of many after she publicly commended her colleague and rival, Funke ‘Jennifa’ Akindele.
Taking to her Instagram page, Toyin shared a picture of Funke with a lengthy open letter urging fans to cease any ongoing conflict between them.
Thinking about how fan-driven rivalry affects their personal lives, careers, and relationships, Toyin stressed their history of friendly competition and shared achievements.
Most importantly, she congratulated Funke for her recent box office success with the film “A Tribe Called Judah.” She explored their previous competitive relationship, pointing out their obstacles in the Yoruba film industry and how they steadily progressed over time.
Despite the initial rivalry and divided fan base, Toyin expressed her admiration for Funke’s accomplishments and the inspiration she offered to other women in the industry. She recognized the shift in their perspectives over time and stressed the significance of fostering supportive competition instead of negativity.
Read the open letter below
“If you guys knew the fierce competition to be number one in those days in the Yoruba industry (I don’t know if that still exists though). The fierce competition created camps, enmity, and many professional gossips. The number one cause of fights in the industry then was ‘he said, she said’ before the social media era. Dear Nollywood people, let me chip this in, stop tearing the industry down with your gossips. You have caused lots of damage with ‘he-said, she-said’.
Let me go back to my story. In those days of the Yoruba film industry, @funkejenifaakindele was like number one after the likes of Aunty Bukky and Aunty Faithia. I was the next in line. The competition was much and with many gossips in between, we became competitors and persona non grata.
She moved on to the English industry, I became number one before moving on too (A word of advice to young actors of today, no one will be number one forever. It doesn’t mean you fall down the pecking order, it might just be that you move on to bigger things. E rora tele bashubashu. You don’t own the industry, the industry is bigger than you). In the English industry, Aunty Funke and I continued the rivalry sort of. It pitted our fans against each other. We are two competitive Virgo women, we love to win and sometimes in that process, we splash dirt and mud.
But with time, age, and more wisdom, I have realized we can compete without being negatively competitive. Aunty Funke, I celebrate you for showing us what is possible. You are a winner. You sold over 1B, you made it possible for other women to dream. You ran us street with that 1B o, this year, many of us will move to 1B and we pray God makes you bigger.
Thank you for making great movies and selling them like your life depends on it. You taught other women to hustle harder. I had set records in box office records, Aunty came and beat them, today I am happy because she has challenged me to set higher goals. Sis, let’s compliment each other even in competition at the box office, I owe you one post in December (only 1 o, I need to sell market…Lol). I pray that God will make all your dreams come true. I admire you and wish you all the best.
With Love, T!”
In response, fans and fellow celebrities praised Toyin’s effort towards reconciliation, acknowledging the importance of mending relationships within the industry.
Responding to Toyin’s post, Funke Akindele expressed gratitude and sent her best wishes to Toyin. Her message conveyed warmth and support, affirming their rekindled bond.
She wrote:
“Toyin baby ❤️❤️ all the best dear.”
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