NOLLYWOOD INDECENCY STAR AFROCANDY REVEALS 18 YEARS-OLD DAUGHTER ANNABELLE MAZAGWU

Judith Opara Mazagwu, the Nigerian Indecency star based in the U.S who did the popular Nollywood Indecency movie "Destructive Instinct" and she is popularly known as AfroCandy, has finally revealed her eldest daughter. The proud mother revealed her 18-year-old daughter whom she earlier declared to be a virgin in an interview. 

Annabelle Mazagwu is the beautiful young lady in the above picture with a red circle around her face. She is a student of East Side High School and happened to be in the Newark New Media 2013 6th season of "City Without Walls" artist & apprenticeship program premieres. It was her first film project and her first time of being on the big screen. The film premiere at the Theater in Newark, New Jersey and her proud mama 'AfroCandy' was there to support her.
She is an actress in the making.....but not like her mama. :-)

click the link to watch the video

http://www.allaroundgist.com/2013/06/nollywood-Indecency-star-afrocandy-finally.html

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ONE YEAR AFTER: LEKINSON'S SON TALKS ABOUT HIS DEATH, DRUG ADDICTION, CAREER AND WOMEN (INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, Jan 26, 2012 was one of such sad days when one woke up with the news that death has dealt the Nigerian entertainment industry a blow. That was actually the day Lekan Oladipo a.k.a Giorgio Lekinson, a foundation member of the Yoruba genre of Nigerian home videos lost the battle to cancer of the lung.

Interestingly, Lekinson’s disappearance from the movie scene before he died early last year remains the reason some movie buffs still find it hard to believe that he’s dead! It would be recalled that Lekinson, who would forever be remembered for his slangs and good interpretation of the role of fraudster in most Yoruba films, battled with drug related problems and when family and friends thought Giorgio Lekinson had cheated death, the gifted actor passed on.

Barely a year ago and when many people may be wondering if Lekinson left a grown up child who will step into his shoes, it’s amazing that Babatunde Oladipo, the eldest son, has picked up the trade where his father left it. With just three years in the industry, Armani Arante as Yabatech’s graduate of Business Administration is popularly called, is leaving no stone unturned to hit the spotlight at one shot. Apart from picking roles in popular films like ‘Omolabake’, ‘Oko Obinrin’, ‘Figurine’ among few others, Armani Arante is getting set to hit location for his personal film project that may come after premiering Irosun Meji, Lekinson’s last movie which he never lived to released.

Recalling how he gets into acting, “Apart from the fact that I picked after my father, to be a successful actor has been my childhood ambition but my father do tell me to finish my education before going to acting. My passion for acting grew when I started following him to movie locations. While in higher institution, I opted for Business Administration because of my love for banking job but life later played me its card as I’m back to my first love which is acting,” Armani said.

Little or nothing might have been read about the life and death of great Lekinson, Armani revealed the private parts of his father. “It’s no doubt that my father was a ladies’ man but it may shock you that my mother remained his only wife whom they had two kids together, I and my younger brother, Abiodun. My father’s drug problem could be traced back to when he went to India to study acting. On his return from India my mother noticed his change of attitude and one day she caught him sniffing a white substance suspected to be cocaine which led to a serious argument and fight.

“All efforts by family members to persuade him to give up on the bad habit proved abortive. This affected his growing acting career and he was shut out of the scene for some years before he returned as a King in the old popular home video titled ‘Koto Aiye’, in 2002. The dope thing messed up his career before he later quit.

In 2007 Lekinson, who was a board member of Osun State’s Art and Culture during the time of Governor Oyinlola, was diagnosed of cancer of the lung. We thought he would die but Lekinson survived the terminal illness that left him bed ridden for two years. He fully recovered and bounced back in 2009 before he eventually died in 2012.

“It was a natural death; my father did not die of any sickness as reported. On that sad day, Lekinson complained of tiredness and contemplating of going to the hospital the next day but his elder brother encouraged him to go that day which he agreed, but he died on his way to the hospital,” Armani revealed.

Speaking further about the life and time of Lekinson who featured in countless numbers of popular home videos, son said, “He was a trained actor who doesn’t take nonsense. If I could recollect, the last thing he told me was, I should be wary of unnecessary intimacy, to always be myself and Lekinson told me point blank that he needed a grandson. At the moment, we are planning a one year remembrance of his death and probably released his last personal film titled ‘Irosun Meji’,” Armani concluded.

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GHANAIAN ACTRESS "NADIA BUHARI" REVEALS HER ALCOHOLIC PAST

The actress was born November 21, 1982, making her 30 right now. According to the actress, she was an alcoholic at that age.

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PHOTOS: YVONNE NELSON'S GLAMOUR PHOTO SHOOT FOR OVATION MAGAZINE

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2FACE, ANNIE POSTPONES WEDDING

Hopeless romantics who are eagerly anticipating the grand 2face and Annie Idibia white wedding next month will have to wait a bit more.Contrary to what has been widely publicized, NET investigations have revealed that the celebrity couple aren’t walking down the aisle on February 14, 2013.Instead of the hugely expected February/Valentine wedding, multiple sources have told us Idibia is hoping to stage a lovers’ concert on February 14, in partnership with Now Muzik and Edi Lawani’s Showbiz Network Services. The pop icon will also honour other performance engagements in and around Lagos.

‘Forget all the noise about February 14, Innocent and his wife have other grand plans up their sleeves and are not ready to give up the details just yet’ one major insider told NET last week as Annie continued her luxury shopping from the US to Dubai.

‘Annie isn’t settling for a secret wedding, she’ll get her elegant white wedding like she’s always dreamt of’, a friend who’s familiar with preparation plans told us.

So where and when will the wedding be?

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SOMEONE IS BUGGING WAJE, SEE HER TWITTER UPDATES

The life of a celebrity...hmmmmm

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GRACE AMAH - "MY PARENTS NEVER BELIEVED I COULD HAVE A CHILD OUT OF WEDLOCK" (INTERVIEW)

Grace Amah recently staged a comeback to Nollywood after a long break in order to deliver her baby boy abroad. In this engaging interview, the delectable actress shares the ‘joy and pain’ of having a child out of wedlock, the challenges of motherhood and why she opted to maintain a low profile.
She also refutes the rumour that she is regretting her status as a single mother. ‘I can never regret the birth of my child, he is a bundle of joy to me and it remains so,’ she declares with a tone of finality.

How would you describe your second coming to Nollywood?   
It’s been fine, but just like someone who takes a leave from work schedules, when you return,you will still need sometime to get acquainted with new developments that happened while you were away. Nollywood as you know has moved from just normal routine of acting to a new level where actors and actresses are now engaged in different  products and in different sectors of the economy such as the telecommunication industry, cosmetics and even music. With such evolution, one will of course need to get into the foray and move on with others.

Did you miss  anything on screen?
Life is not all about screen. Even the Holy Bible recognizes that there is time for everything. While I was away, I concentrated on what took  me out and I didn’t need to divide my attention. Of course, my fans may have missed me  but I’m sure they will be happy to hear that one has made new progress in life. There may not have been too much of a nostalgia. But occasionally, I  remembered my fans and wished I return soon. So, here I am now.

Some people find it difficult to stage a comeback  and still get back their groove. How have been able to do it?
It depends on what took such people out. There is nothing in life like peace of mind which comes through the grace of God. The moment you are at peace with yourself and you know what you are doing, there will be no basis to come back disoriented. I have tried to maintain my peace and refused to see myself as someone missing something thereby giving myself unnecessary anxiety. Besides, acting  is an innate talent. I did not go to school to acquire formal training in it. Because it is in-born, even if I leave the stage for 10 years, anytime I return back, I  will still have the same groove. Its God’s grace and I am happy for it.

Your long  absence from the screen was to enable you take care of your baby. What was the  experience like?
Motherhood is the best experience any woman would aspire to. It is not  surprising that  many people who are yet to have the fruit of the womb do anything within their power to have one. It was an awesome experience. Suddenly, you do not take things for granted any longer, you keep awake all  nights to ensure you feed your  baby,  change pampers and breastfeed, bath the child and a whole lot of that. Wonderful experience and it’s worth the long absence. As many times as God gives me the opportunity, I will do it again.

Why did you decide to have your baby abroad?
Why do our  leaders go abroad for medical treatment? May be, they are setting the pace and others are following. When the leaders are able to provide the necessary facilities to take care of medical cases in Nigeria especially  complicated matters like childbirths, I am sure Nigerians including the leaders themselves will begin to show good example. Governor Wada of Kogi State has just shown such example by refusing to be treated abroad following his involvement in a ghastly motor accident recently. Let the hospitals be in good state and let there be manpower with the right attitude in the professionals, Nigerians will be home at all times.

Was it the decision of the father or yours?
It has nothing to do with decision of anybody. It has to do with what we have. We have enough resources in this country to take care of our hospitals and save the life of our citizens which are lost in avoidable circumstances. In many cases, despite a few good ones which are obviously very few and unaffordable to many, many of our hospitals have been described  by our political leaders as slaughter houses. Why would  anybody see a slaughter center and go there to be slaughtered when you still enjoy the breeze that God freely provided for everybody? It was my decision to have my baby in a place. I would have the best of attention.

Recently, there  was this rumour that you were regretting being a “single mother”. How true is this rumour?
It was the worst curse any woman or human being will bring upon him/herself to regret  having a baby. As I said earlier, many people burn midnight candles in prayer to have a child and you see someone regretting having a child. What kind of talk is that? When I saw the publication I felt like taking a legal action against the publishers of the newspapers and websites  but I had to get in touch with them to retract the story. I never granted such interview and I can never regret the birth of my child.
My son is a bundle of joy to me and it remains so.

Are you really a single mother?
What is wrong with being a single mother. In marital law, we have separation, living apart and divorce. Couple could for any reason decide to live  separately for a certain time and after that, they reunite. It could be due to work schedules, some challenges  they needed to overcome,  Two friends about to marry could still have the same challenge and it happens that way. If the relationship produces a child and the woman is living with the child, it does not suggest that the woman is a single mother. In any case, if I am a single mother, I have not breached any law. For now, I am happy with my son and comfortable.

Did you originally plan to have a baby outside wedlock?
I am not sure if people plan to have babies out of  wedlock. A woman does not make herself pregnant. It takes the agreement of two people in harmony and relationship to have a child especially when such situations do not come by way of “accident” or ignorance. It means before such agreement, such persons would have been together as either married couple or dating friends with a plan to marry. The moment you are relating without protection, it means there is intention on both sides whether disclosed or not, that if anything happens, they will be able to cope with it.
It could equally be that the two friends may not have the where-withal to stage a marriage ceremony and decide  whether rightly or  wrongly to put it on hold until time and resources permit them . What I’m saying is that if people plan on their own to have a child out of wedlock, I never had such a plan. But I could not have aborted my child simply because the person responsible for the pregnancy was not ready for societal announcement. Everything will work out at God’s time.

What stopped the father of your child from proposing to you first  before putting you in a family way?
I think that pages of newspapers are not where marriage proposals are made at least in Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Notwithstanding, what happens among celebrities in some developed world, we still have a culture here. Even if  our people are beginning to imitate what happens elsewhere, marriage proposals used to be an affair between man and woman alone before it is made public. That we did not announce it to the world then does not justify any conclusion that there was no marriage proposal. But the issue now is not marriage proposal, it is living my life and satisfying my fans.

Would you say, your pregnancy was a mistake?
If children are given by God, then whoever has a child cannot call it a mistake because so many desire to make the mistake and they could not. So my child cannot be a mistake.

How were you able to overcome all the controversies that your pregnancy generated few years ago?
If I were one village girl married at  my local community Ebunwana Edda in Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi state, do you think anybody would have worried him/herself about me getting pregnant or having a baby. But because I am in the entertainment industry and my name has become a household one , then when something happens, people want to either share your joy, or grief.
So, I wouldn’t blame anybody for the tongue wagging at  that time. Knowing that people were only interested in my affairs for good at least majority of  them, I did not need to worry so much except to let them know, when  I had a baby boy and I am happy. Posterity will take care of the rest. I cannot engage  myself  in the issue of paternity or the rest  of that.

Your fans were not expecting you to have a child before your wedding. Would you say you disappointed them?
To the extent that many of them who had anticipated attending my wedding and they suddenly saw me maximizing what should be described as fruit of marriage without their knowledge, I would say, I took them by surprise, but there is nothing to regret about having  a child.

How did you break the shocking news of your pregnancy to your parents and what was their reaction?
My parents are very religious people and are also elders in the church. Nothing in this life would have given them a glimpse of such a surprise of their first daughter coming home with a pregnancy without formalizing marriage rites. No, to them, it was like it would never be true. But then, someone posed a question to them when the issue was raging: which would you have preferred, to receive a phone call to come to the airport and receive the corpse of your daughter who died in abortion attempt, or to receive your daughter with a pregnancy out of wedlock? There are many things we cannot question God as to why it happened especially if we have allowed it to happen. It happened and so be it. Every thing that happens is a lesson for another day.

Did having a child out of wedlock  affect your social life in  anyway?
As a human being, ab initio, you may have certain feelings as to how to relate with people especially those who have had very serious respect for you which you appear to have betrayed, but after a while, considering that you are not the first or the last, you begin to cope. It has not significantly affected my social life, that is why I still cope with re-enacting my acts in the  movie  industry.

Before you went on sabbatical, you were not regular  in movies, what was the reason behind that?
I was actually setting the stage to break into a new area in the industry;  the area of Community services which  I have set out to accomplish this year. It was in the course of that my baby came and the rest had to wait.

What’s  the bond between you and the father of your  child?
We can’ t over flog this issue.

Are you planning to walk down the aisle soon?
When the time comes, everyone who is interested will be  invited.

You are always known to maintain a low profile. Is it because  of your background or your nature?
There’s nothing in this world that people will be killing themselves for. Imagine the kind of noise people make and the amount of money we hear on television that people steal from public coffers or that people even make genuinely, yet after a while ,the person will die and all this noise will end.
I think its better for one to live his/her life quietly and talk to God who is the author and finisher of all things. Whatever is your own will surely come to you when you work for it.
My background may have contributed a lot, but I have learnt that in this world vanity upon vanity is noting but vanity. Serve God through your fellow human beings and you will have peace.

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PHOTOS: 12 NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES WHO ARE SINGLE MOTHERS

Faithia Balogun:
This beautiful script interpreter is without doubt a delight to watch anytime; the news of her separation from her movie actor c*m producer husband raised some dust which is gradually subsiding, and it is a common knowledge that she has had a baby with another man before she decided to settle down with Saheed whom she adopted his name. Sources claimed her union with Saheed was an after-thought as she had initially declined the actor’s advances, preferring a London-based lover who she had a child for before coming back for Saheed. It was even alleged that they were not officially married but that she decided to adopt his name so as to cover the mistake of not having proper wedding before making babies together. The union which has since broken down completely over issues relating to infidelity has returned her to the status of single parent Nigerian celebrity.

Iyabo Ojo
It is no secret that Iyabo has been a single mother for many years, story has it that she lived with a guy years back who fathered her children, a boy and a girl. Though many believe the children are the result of a marriage she entered into while she was still very young, others argue it is a result of a fling she decided to have to have children before going after her career in the movie industry. She has over the years been linked with many men both within and outside the movie industry, but Iyabo has always been evasive when the issue of marriage is pushed to her and she has always been frank about the fact that she has children she cares so much about.

Tayo Odueke (Sikiratu Sindodo)
She’s one of the Nigerian celebrities who has been very cautious about mentioning the child they had out of wedlock, hardly has she ever given a mention to the fact that she has a daughter or that she’s a single parent, rather Tayo is seen by her fans as a young lady that has never experienced the joy of motherhood before. When she was the apple of the eyes of one time leader of Oshodi branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the child’s name was kept out of everything the chubby Yoruba actress did since she came to limelight and it is the belief of her many fans that she’s still without any kid. Sikiratu Sindodo as Tayo is called is another of the numerous Nigerian celebrities that are single parents.

Gloria Doyle
Madam controversy could be the right word to qualify b**bs flaunting Gloria, she declared not too long ago that she’s still not interested in settling down. The busty woman who claims to be a gospel musician and later a pastor of a church in Ogba axis of Lagos is the mother of a grown-up girl who she had while she was still very young and she has since then been living as a single mother, even when she has suitors that are ready to walk her down the aisle, she stuck to her single status which gives her freedom to take any man she so desires at any time.

Waje

She shot to prominence when she was featured by the singing duo of P Square in their 2005 hit Do Me; the performance then encouraged the twins to allow her do a lady version of their Omoge Mi song; she has also been featured by Banky W and M.I. at different occasions. Born Aituaje Aina Vivian Ebele Iruobe, commonly known as WAJE which is the acronym for “Words aren’t just enough”, Waje has a love child she which she’s not hiding but not also really exposing to the press. The secret of the 10-year-old daughter became public knowledge in 2011 and the talented songstress has never denied the existence of the child which is the result of an affair the pretty lady had many years back, though she’s still very single and not really into any form of relationship, but she is of the belief she will settle down as time goes on.

Genevieve
Her case is the most talked about of the Nigerian celebrities that have children, and it is attributed to the fact that she was at a time the most sought after Nigerian actress, Genevieve Nnaji’s love child story is one that arouse heated arguments anytime it is mentioned, some are of the opinion that the father took advantage of her while she was still too young to make proper decision, others are of the opinion that she knows what she’s doing. The daughter who the actress will want to protect at all cost from public glare was conceived when she was still in secondary school and she has since been taking care of the child who close pals described as her life even when she will not have anything to do with the father ever again.

Alex Lopez
She is probably one of the very few celebrities that will talk about the children they have out of wedlock openly with no sign of regret, Alex Lopez is always happy to talk about her son Joshua, whom she had for her lover years back. Although, the relationship did not last, she is ever grateful for the joy of motherhood that the relationship afforded her and she’s not ashamed to talk about the product of the botched relationship, even when she’s still in the market shopping for prospective husband.

Funke Etti
She was one of the regular faces in the Yoruba click of the Nigerian movie industry some time ago, Funke Etti was at a time thought to be having an affair with Itele, another actor in the Yoruba movie industry, but she denied anything of such stating that they only had a working relationship. Recently she joined the league of Nigerian celebrities who have children out of wedlock when she delivered a bouncing baby boy, the naming which the father was conspicuously missing. Sources even claimed she’s still single as the person responsible for the pregnancy has not performed any marriage rite on her, which admits her into the league of Nigeria single parent celebrities.

Grace Amah
This petite light-skinned actress who acts in both Yoruba and English speaking movies had a child last year for someone people say is happily married though she came out to debunk that stating that she would soon be getting married to the father of her baby boy. Marriage apart she has successfully earned herself a place in the group of celebrities with children out of wedlock and some pessimists are still of the opinion that the marriage may not be a thing that will be happening this year.

Bisola Badmus
She disappeared from the screen sometime back only for her arrival to be announced with a bouncing baby boy. Bisola Badmus who has acted in many Yoruba films had her naming ceremony recently and like Funke Etti, the father of her child was absent. Sources however have it that the father is a popular fuji musician and that the musician did not want his name to be mentioned in the whole scenario as he had informed the actress of his desire for her not to have the baby, while the actress insisted she would be having it. Though the christening was done with funfair, all efforts to get the identity of the father from the actress proved futile as the actress has joined the league of Nigerian celebrities that are single parents.

Omawunmi Megbele
Her story was like a comedy, Omawunmi Megbele was at a time dating her producer Dokta Frabz and before one can say hello, she had entered into another relationship with a man who was said to be having a steady relationship with another woman, it was along the line she took in and news of her pregnancy started like rumour. When it became obvious, questions started arising as to the father of her child and it was at that period she released the song “If You Ask Me”; the people who have been asking the paternity question about her baby girl then assumed she released the song to answer the question of the child’s paternity. Her fling that turned into pregnancy made Omawunmi one of the numerous Nigerian celebrities who are single parents.

Ibinabo Fiberisima
Sultry actress Ibinabo Fiberisima, has enjoyed lots of controversies and the former beauty queen turned actress can be said to be one actress who can’t have enough of the wrong men. She was at a time dating tall actor and ex-husband of television talk show gal Fred Amata, a relationship many of Ibinabo’s friends thought would lead to the altar, but just as it started it was brought to an abrupt end with no cogent reason, but not without the actress having a child for the actor which brings to three the number of children she has had out of wedlock. She had had two children before that of Fred for men nobody can really say the way they look. The actress who contested to be the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in the botched election is said to have a flair for having children for different men, which is evident with the number of men she has had children for in a short while.

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PHOTOS: JIM IYKE VISITS ORHANAGE

Star actor, Jim Iyke, recently visited an orphanage in Gishiri, a suburb of Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. The actor has shown a serious interest in charitable activities over the years. He visited Kenya last December in support of the Make a Change campaign – a charity project founded by Christopher Grey, and Jamaican dancehall queen, Cécile.

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WHY TUFACE CHOSE ME AS HIS WIFE - ANNIE MACAULAY (INTERVIEW)

In a revealing interview she granted Jara, a TV programme on Africa Magic channel on DSTV, the singer’s wife reconstructed the scenario of how Tuface proposed to her and why he chose her among the other women in his life.

In her words:

“He called me up one morning that I should meet him in Lagos so that we can hang out. He said his friends are around and they want to take us out. So, I agreed to see him. I remember it was a particular friend of ours that was around that day, although I would not like to mention his name.

“And when I got to Lagos that day, he was like ‘let’s go to the club.’ When we got to the club, the place was totally empty. Obviously confused, I asked him, “baby, what are we doing here, it’s empty” and before I turned back, my brothers and friends showed up. I was so perplexed that I had to ask what everybody was doing around there and they said they heard we were there and they came.

“Just about few minutes after, Tuface picked up the microphone and I thought he was going to do all the normal hypes he does when he goes to the club. But he shocked me. He started saying things about how I have always been there for him since day one. How I have sacrificed alot for him. How I have cried and stood strong during his trying moments.

The truth is, he said so many things I can’t remember now. He said so many wonderful things that sent me into another world and I couldn’t even hear the other things he said.

“I didn’t even know when he walked up to me and he said “Please, will you marry me?” And I was like, “Can you imagine? What’s going on here?” he was saying so many things that I can’t even remember. It all blew my head.

“Although, it has not been easy since we had our traditional marriage. The truth is, it is not easy to be married to a superstar but I still live my normal life.

Right now, I feel 24 hours is not enough for me because I have my husband, my daughter and myself to take care of. It has really been crazy and God knows I have been trying my best. I wish I have more time to handle all of this.

“Just because of the lack of time, I haven’t been able do my normal acting jobs. I would still go on to do it soon because my husband is very supportive of my career and everything I do.

As a married woman, I would be more selective with the roles I take now. I would do away from controversial roles but that doesn’t mean if I see a good storyline I wouldn’t do it.

“One of the reasons I would be careful with the roles I take up now is because I am married. And when you are married you have to be able to manage your career such that it won’t affect your home front.

In any case, you need to learn some tips which will help you carry on in the marriage. But before that, you need to be sure that the man loves you as much as you love him.

Even if it is not as much as you love him, but be sure he loves you. You also need to be patient. Men are like babies and babies are very annoying. You need to scold them but you should pamper them more. You need to work on yourself so that you can be proud of yourself. Don’t fake anything.

“Very soon, Tuface and I plan to do our white wedding and you will all be invited and even though it will be something quiet. We don’t want to make too much noise about it. We just want a beautiful and memorable event.”

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KIRSTEN STEWART AND ROBERT PATTINSON SPLIT AGAIN

The pair separated last summer after Stewart admitted to cheating (watch Kristen Stewart cheating pic) on Pattinson with married Snow White And The Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders.

Robert Pattinson has called time on their relationship once again over the weekend.

“She flew to LA and was supposed to be Rob’s date for the Golden Globes, but he told her he wants to cool it off,” an insider alleged.

“He loves her, but would rather go back to being good friends so they can rebuild their trust and focus on work after Twilight.

“Kristen’s upset but understands. She shouldn’t have pushed him to reconcile after her infidelity. She’s hoping he’ll come round and time will be a great healer.

“He was getting so much pressure to ditch her. His friends told him to focus on his career and said she was wrecking his chances.”

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EXCLUSIVE: JOHNNY DEPP DUMPED BY BISEXUAL GIRLFRIEND AMBER HEARD

JOHNNY Depp is down in the dumps after bisexual girlfriend Amber Heard left him — and went on holiday with a stunning model.
Amber, 26, ended the seven-month romance as she and Marie de Villepin, daughter of ex-French premier Dominique, flew to Paris.
She is said to have ditched Johnny over his moods and grown “very close” to Marie.
Pals said the actor, 49 — Tonto in a new Lone Ranger movie — is “cut up” as they had even discussed starting a family.
One said: “He hasn’t been this smitten for a long time.
“He’s been head-over-heels in love with Amber. But just as she started to love him back, she got cold feet.
“They seemed happy and were even talking of marriage and babies.
“But Amber grew fed up of him and his moods.”

The US actress and Marie, also 26, have frequently been seen together as they spend a week in the romantic French capital.
They have headed out for cinema dates on Marie’s scooter.
The pair were introduced last October by Amber’s artist ex-girlfriend Tasya Van Ree, 36. The source added: “They’re very close and some friends say they’re a couple.”
Last June Johnny split from Vanessa Paradis, 39 — mum of his two children — after 14 years together.
He fell for Amber on the set of their movie The Rum Diary. He moved her into a £10million Tennessee mansion and even named a bay on his Bahamas isle Amber’s Cove after her



SOURCE: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/4752170/johnny-depp-amber-heard-break-up.html#ixzz2IR1A5rdS

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NO ANGEL OF DEATH IN NOLLYWOOD; A LOT OF BANKERS ARE DYING TOO – BENITA NZERIBE

There have been prophecies, and visions about the angel of death being at work in Nigeria’s movie industry following the number of deaths recorded last year. Nollywood actress, Benita Nzeribe has however said that she refuses to believe “the evil prophecy”.

“I don’t know why people get too pessimistic about such things. People are saying that a lot of people in Nollywood are dying. A lot of bankers are dying too. It’s not narrowed down to Nollywood alone. It is the way God has willed it; if God did not allow it, it wouldn’t happen,” Benita told HVP recently.

“I say no those people who say that the angel of death is upon Nollywood. Such an angel has not seen Nollywood, it does not have our address and it will never see us. I am passionate about it, and I reject that. I will not believe in the idea that the angel of death visited us. I don’t like to hear that,” she added.

Benita Nzeribe has not been seen on screen in recent times; the sultry actress disclosed that she took a break for about a year to take care of a lot of things, including her NGO, but she says she’s back now.
“My NGO focuses on women and children. I don’t blow it or talk about it much. I’m just inspired to give back to society, and I get my reward from God.”

BenitaNzeribe says her break is over, and she’s back working. “I am hosting a show for Malta Guiness Low Sugar in the east, and I’m also beginning shooting for a cinema movie in the next two weeks. In the next one or two months, I should be able to talk boldly to the press about my plans for movie production. But what I have in mind is still in the incubation stage now. I don’t want to jump the gun so I don’t get into a tight corner.”

Everyone wants to know who the lucky man dating a beautiful celebrity is, and for Benita Nzeribe, she’s got a man whose name she wouldn't disclose or their plans. “I’m not married,” she says, “but obviously, there is a man in my life, but I’m not talking about him or about marriage yet. I am not giving you any gossip about my personal life. It is beautiful as you can see. Just keep your fingers crossed and watch what happens in the future”.

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"I AM STILL IN LOVE WITH AYO ADESANYA" - PASUMA REVEALS

Alhaji Wasiu Alabi, popularly known as Pasuma he divulged some closely guarded secrets regarding his past and his unmarried status. 





YOU once said growing up in Mushin must have been a rough and tough time for you. How rough exactly was your childhood?
Talking about rough, there is something about Mushin that people run away from. Being a Mushin person, people don’t usually want to associate with you or give you things. When someone asks you where you are from and you say Mushin, they don’t want to have anything to do with you. But I saw it as a challenge. When I was a young boy, I attended Muslim Mission Primary School. Afterwards, I moved to Nigeria Model High School, Idioro also in Mushin. I decided that I wanted to get out of the place and make people know that it is not only rascally people that come out of Mushin. If we can talk of someone like Honourable Funmilayo Tejuoso, Honourable Ganiyu Solomon, Honourable Muiz Bamire all from Mushin making a difference, I determined that I could do better than they did. And thank God, for where I am today and I am proud to say it anywhere that I am from Mushin.
Are you not married or you’re divorced?
I am not married but I have children.

In Yoruba culture, a 45-year-old man is expected to have been married.
Exactly.
So why aren’t you married?
I don’t want to rush into it. I would have been married earlier but it didn’t work out. The person I was supposed to have married was Ayo Adesanya. I love her so much. Everybody in my family knew her and knew that I wanted to marry her.
What happened?
You journalists caused it. Nobody outside of my family knew about our relationship then and that was the way we wanted it. But one day we went together to a show and some journalists saw us together and they slammed our pictures on the front page of the newspaper. It was The Fame newspaper then. Apparently, they had been hearing the rumour but they could not confirm it so they didn’t use the story. But this day when they saw us together, they just used the picture, without even interviewing us. When the wahala started, Ayo couldn’t handle it anymore. I would call her that I want to see her and she would say she was busy. I could feel it that she was withdrawing from the relationship and I had to let her go.
Did you feel you made a mistake letting her go?
Well, there’s something about love. If you love someone, you’d want them to be happy. If their happiness is not with you, you’ll have to let them go. She couldn’t handle the pressure and she obviously was not happy again. So I had to let her go.
It seems you’re still in love with her. Are you?
(Laughs). She’s been married and has a child. Although the relationship didn’t last.
If Ayo says yes to your marriage proposal today, would you still marry her?
Yes! If she says yes today, we’ll head for the altar tomorrow.

So you’re still in love with her.
Yes.
Are you dating someone now?
I am free. I am currently single but I have a friend.
Did you date Iyabo Ojo?
No. Thank you for that question. Let people know that she and I are not dating. She is my very good friend and we are very close. Outside of that, we are not dating. We have not dated before, and we are not dating. The idea has not crossed our minds.
Now that people have planted the idea into your mind, would you consider it?
No. We are friends and that is enough for us. I am not dating Iyabo. Please help me tell them.
You’ve given almost 30 years of your life to music. Any other plans for the future?
Let’s wait and see what the future has for me. You have to understand that you have to move with time and seasons. My own is that I want people to think of me and say this guy has tried for the industry and for the country. I want people to say I want to become like Pasuma. I want people to live a free and purposeful life. My future is in God’s hands. I pray for long life though and to be able to use that life to make significant impact on people’s lives and to make the industry bigger.

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"HE BEAT ME TILL I LOST MY FIRST PREGNANCY" IBRAHIM CHATTA'S EX REVEALS

The recently married actor said in an interview this week that he only hit his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, Yinka Solomon, just once, but the lady is telling a different story. She says he beat her so much she lost her first pregnancy. What she told Bononline.tv below

We met in 2007. We started living together right from 2008, he was my first love. I have never dated any other guy in my life. He dis-flowered me, that made me submit my self to him, hoping that when ever he has money we can do introduction and other things.

He was a womanizer, a gold digger, he collected all the money in my Account before my eyes was opened. When he saw that I didn’t have money again, he started misbehaving, bringing women into the house.

I had my first pregnancy in 2007, but due to constant beating, I lost the pregnancy. I had another one in 2008 and gave birth Feb 2009. 

 Thank God I have a mother if not I would have been suffering. 3 months after the naming of my baby, he brought his girlfriend into the house. I cooked for them and slept in the guest room. People can testify to it.

He told me he was sorry that the lady would only spend the weekend in the house and I agreed. But a week passed and she didn’t go, when asked him he started beating me, that was how I left his house the first time.

I caught him and another woman in our bed naked. Its a very sad story. I regret ever meeting Ibrahim Chatta, He treated me like a slave.

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PHOTO: NOLLYWOOD ACTOR "JIM IYKE" SHOWS OFF SIX PACK

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PICTURES: COSSY ORJIAKOR COVERS UP IN NEW PHOTOS

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FOLUKE DARAMOLA: "FIRST TIME I HAD SEX, I WAS RAPED"

Popular Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola, takes ADEMOLA OLONILUA through the journey of her life

Why I am more into movie production than acting

I am a person that is very restless in nature. I have been acting for over 18 years. I feel that it is becoming monotonous for me; doing the same old thing over and over again, despite the fact that creativity is dropping by the day. I still do a bit of acting; it is just that I am more of a production person. I am even derailing a bit back into doing English soap operas which was what I started out from. I started with soap opera and English movies before I delved into Yoruba movies.

Competition from upcoming actors

The only thing that is constant in life is change. If you do not look beyond and think outside of the box, you are going to box yourself in the corner. What I mean by that is that there is no how you would not grow. There is this proverb that says you have to take a bow when the ovation is loudest. Taking a bow doesn’t mean leaving the scene; it means you should go and re-strategise and find ways to work around things that would make you relevant. There is no way I would say my younger colleagues should not grow. I started out when I was a teenager and I have had my fair share of the industry. I’m still having it. I’m still staying relevant. The only thing you can do is just to make yourself relevant. A threat from the younger generation is not one that relates with me. I am not one that would sit in a corner. A lot of my colleagues ask why I read so much. I just had my masters degree, I am going for my Ph.D. I believe in dynamism and upgrading myself at every point in time so nobody is a threat to me.

Journey so far

When I started I was very young. I was about 16 years and I had not entered the university for my first degree. At that time, I was a young girl who wanted to have fun and I did not see myself as anything. One thing about me is that I have had it in my sub-conscious that stardom would not change me or take anything away from me. I have had my challenges, times when I wanted to party with my friends, go to clubs, parties, go out to have fun. People see me and begin to talk. At each point in time, because I was a teenager, I might have made one or two mistakes. At the end of the day, I learnt while growing up in the industry that you do not do things like this, you just walk around them. It is just part of learning in life. I am not one person that regrets anything. I just learn from my past. Anything I have done in life, I do not wish they never happened.

My dream of becoming a lecturer

I have always wanted to be a diplomat. I have always loved to be a lecturer; that is why I’m still upgrading my education. I had a scholarship in Canada but I had to postpone my admission to take another course. It is an ongoing process.

My parents’ reaction to my career

My dad is late; I lost him when I was very young. My mum was strongly against my movie career. She felt that I would be too exposed. Later, my mentors called her, spoke to her and gave her the assurance that I would still go to school. They told her that I would still be educated and do the normal things people do. She grudgingly agreed but I’m sure she has not regretted it so far. I sneaked to location several times after she said I should not go. There was a time she had to shave my head because I sneaked to location. I thought I would be back home that day but I did not get to our house until 2am. She was really worried; immediately she saw me, she picked a pair of scissors and shaved my head. I had to put relaxer on my hair to make it look like rough curls. Later, when she saw that I was determined and dogged about it, she allowed me. She just made me to sign an undertaking that I was going to go to school. She is an educationist so I had to sign and give her the assurance that I was going to go to school.

My first crush

I would say that my first crush was my first relationship. I was about 17 years old then. Unfortunately, he was not the first person I had sex with. I share it with the younger generation because it is something that has been talked about but I have got over it. The first time I had sex, I was raped. I had my first relationship with the first person I had a crush on, Seun Olomofe. He is one of the most caring and considerate persons I have ever met in my life. He was my mother’s close friend’s son. He was one person that showed me so much love. He was always there for me; he was the first person to ever make me a special card. I had a huge crush on him. When sex was not coming to play in the relationship, he said he was tired and I was so heart-broken. I was supposed to go to University of Lagos; it was because of him I changed my admission to Obafemi Awolowo University. I saw him as an epitome of the kind of person I would like to spend the rest of my life with. That was the first major crush that I had.

My first sexual encounter

My first introduction to sex was rape. It was with one of our tenants. I got so close to him and saw him as an elder brother. He looked at me as someone that had been exposed because I was busty and he thought I had had a sexual experience before. So he had his way with me. Then it was not something you tell the whole world. People said we should keep quiet about it. Then they tried to make trouble with him but subsequently people said we should keep quiet about it. We had to try and manage it in our own way even though it affected me for a long time psychologically. I had to gradually get over it. I believed so much in the principle of keeping your virginity till you are married. I started showbiz from Teen TV on DBN with Chichi Okaro. Then I used to be so vocal and when we spoke about pre-marital sex and virginity, I was always so passionate about it. It was such a disadvantage and a pity for me.

My experience as a busty lady

At the initial stage, I used to be so ashamed of myself. At that time, I would wear clothes that would not let my bust be noticeable. I was trying everything I could so that it would not be obvious. Subsequently, when I started acting and reading books, I read a book that said the best admirer you have is yourself and the way you carry yourself is how people would take you. I had to psyche myself to love it. After I did so, I noticed that I was getting advances even from people I didn’t expect, like some of my late father’s friends. Being a deep thinker, I always look at the advantage of everything, I saw that it was something I could not change so I had to make the best out of it. I got it into my sub-conscious that it was a plus than minus. I have had reasons to talk to a lot of people that are busty and who do not appreciate themselves. They now see it as an asset than a liability.

Errors in subtitles of Yoruba movies

The reason why that occurs is because we all want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. The few people that are educated know that there are supposed to be professionals for everything .The ones that are not believe that because they have a popular face, they are already stars and can do anything and get away with it. It’s partly the reason I reduced acting because it was already becoming a mess. If you know you are good at acting and you are a popular face, it does not mean you know it all. Some people are perfect for some jobs but because they want to cut corners and believe they can do it better than the next person, they make a mess of it.

My recent project

I am working on my latest project called Cobwebs. It is a cinema-bound movie. We take our movies to the cinema because we are expanding our scope. Home videos are giving us a lot of problems. So we have decided to do something else that would expand our network. We are shooting that. We are planning on featuring Femi Kuti in the movie. We are still talking with him. I know he doesn’t act but if I can get him, it would be a big break.

About my love life

No comment

SOURCE: http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/life-beat/first-time-i-had-sex-i-was-raped-foluke-daramola/

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CHIKE IKE: "I AM NOT DATING SENATE PRESIDENT" (INTERVIEW)

You do not come across Nollywood actress, Chika Ike, for the first time and fail not to wonder why she is being trailed by a string of scandals. Although she cuts across as the ‘girl next door’, a conversation with her reveals a thirst for success.

Although every tweet or Facebook post by the leggy actress is likely to generate a barrage of comments, mostly negative,  Ike says, “Honestly, I have learnt to cope with them. I have developed a rhino skin, Initially they used to get to me but now I’ve realised it comes with the job and part of growing up.”

Away from the pretty face and svelte figure, Ike has a lot going for her scandal-wise.

Recently, she caused quite a stir on Twitter, when she tweeted a copy of her school leaving certificate, after critics doubted her age. Although she says the motive behind the act was misconstrued by critics, she could not be bothered any less.

“I didn't tweet my WAEC certificate to prove my age because I don’t really care if anyone believes I’m 27 or not. I only tweeted it to start conversations with my fans about their WAEC certificates and results. I was surprised that it was interpreted the other way around.”

With a calm mien, Ike’s marital status is yet another bone of contention in the entertainment circles. Having gotten married at age 20, shortly before her foray into Nollywood, the dark-skinned actress succeeded in shrouding details of her marriage  until  she and her man parted ways after five years.

So did she consider herself fortunate at the time?  She says, “Lucky? I did not consider myself lucky. I considered myself to be in love at that time. But as you know , things and people will always change. Life happened, honestly nothing because I learn from every experience in life. Maybe if I had done something differently I wouldn’t have gotten the experience I have today.”

While some will give anything to be romantically linked to a top shot and benefit from a series of largess.  The University of Lagos graduate of Human Kinetics and Health Education  is unhappy with stories making the rounds that Senate President, David Mark,  allegedly financed the establishment of her Abuja-based upscale fashion accessories store, Fancy Nancy Collections, which opened in 2011.

“I made this particular issue clear in several interviews. I don’t know David Mark personally. I only know him as the Senate president. David Mark did not buy me a car, neither did he help me with my shop in Abuja. All I’m thinking about right now is my divorce as I am officially separated.”

 Ike’s flamboyant life style and numerous trips around the world are an open-secret. Recently, private pictures and videos of her holidaying in Maimi, US and shopping in Dubai were trending. But how do these pictures get out?

“Any of my avid follower on Twitter will realise that I tweet and ‘facebook’ a lot of pictures and daily activities.So, no they were not leaked. I shared it on my Twitter page @chikaike and it went viral on the Internet. I guess people liked it a lot.”

It has been eight years since Ike accompanied her sister to a movie audition and ended up as an ‘extra’ in the film and things picked up from then onwards for the leggy star. A few years down the line, her face has become a regular in many movies, many of whom are shot in the east. But Ike is not giving up just yet.

 She says, “I have played diverse roles in movies but I will really like to play a historic figure.”

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SHOCKING EARNINGS OF YORUBA MOVIE STARS

Quite a number of perks come with being a movie star in this part of the world. They include designer clothes, luxury cars and posh apartments. Apart from their penchant for such status symbols, today’s Nollywood actors and actresses are also seen as role models, especially to the young and impressionable who dream of becoming stars some day.

But, judging by the results of a recent investigation conducted by Saturday Beats, it appears all that glitters is not gold, after all.

Contrary to popular opinion, the life of the average Yoruba movie star is that of constant ‘suffering and smiling’.

In spite of the fabulous profiles and immense goodwill enjoyed by some of these celebrated screen gods and goddesses, the contents of their bank accounts are really nothing to be cheerful about.

Even the ‘alarming’ increase in the volume of home video films produced in Yoruba language ought to be sufficient to improve the bank balances of such celebrities. To make matters worse, many of them suffer from a financial disease known as ‘Withdrawal Symptom.’ In fact, it is no longer news that a good number are regular visitors to ATMs.

“As soon as money is paid into their bank accounts, you will see them rushing to the nearest ATM to withdraw almost all the cash,” an amused banker told Saturday Beats recently.

Certainly it is difficult to believe that no reasonably successful Yoruba actor or actress has ever been paid up to N500, 000 for a lead role in any movie. Half a million seems a fantastic sum by all indications. Instead, the maximum fee payable to the best actor or actress has remained between N150k and N250k. Even many of the ‘veterans’ receive as low as N10k to appear in a film feature.

While those that are constantly in demand or have won awards in the industry, such as the likes of Funke Akindele and Odunlade Adekola, earn a maximum of N250k per feature film, the rest are left with peanuts. Interestingly, an exception to this ‘golden rule’ is Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. Saturday Beats investigation shows that she earns between N250k and N400k.

Another ‘big earning’ actor is Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello. It is said that he hardly receives part payment from any producer. Usually on location, he would demand his fee of not more that N150,000 before going into action.

The same is said about Omotola who does not budge until she or her manager has confirmed that a certain amount of money has been deposited in her bank account.

However, the so-called big budget film productions have never exceeded the N3m mark despite the fact that a lot of money goes into paying the crew and cast. Money is also spent on production equipment, lights, costumes, makeups, transport, food, accommodation, generating plant sets, and other logistics/incidental expenses. That is also why most of the cast and crew are grateful when the filmmaker or marketer, who bankrolls the production, is able to hand them paltry sums of money.

“You can count on your fingers the number of individuals involved in the production who respectively got paid less than N50,000,” a production hand says.

Also included in the budget are the editing suite staff, copies of empty VCDs to be dubbed, posters and film jackets to be printed, marketing and distribution.

Now we know why most of the highly paid or underpaid actors/ actresses are writing their own movie scripts and directing or producing their own movie projects, as well as saturating the market with volumes of half-baked home videos every week.

Bukky Wright was the highest paid actress in the Yoruba language genre before Funke Akindele broke her N150,000 per featured film record with Jenifa.

Omilade Babatunde, aka Baba Suwe, used to be the highest paid aactor until the much younger Odunlade Adekola, aka Cause Trouble, began to earn up to N250k per feature film. The other notable figures? Well, they are trying hard to catch up with Omotola, Funke and Odunlade.

Omotola, Adebayo Salami, Funke Akindele, Bukky Wright and Odunlade Adekola were unavailable for comment.

But prolific film producer, Kunle Afolayan, said, “I really don’t know how much they earn now because I’ve since moved on to other major things.”

Top actress, Lizzy Anjorin, found it hard to answer the question.

“Ha! That’s a tough question that I don’t have a ready answer for. Fees vary from one filmmaker to another. As for me, I bill per script and I don’t appear in just about any film.”

Saturday Beats sought the view of scriptwriter/actor/filmmaker, Femi Davies.

He responded, “You can’t really get any top actor/actress that will proudly and honestly tell you this is how much he or she earns per film. But for my years in the industry, I don’t know anyone that collects half a million naira per film he or she featured in that’s not a film produced by him or her. Things can only get better.”

The story is not different in the Igbo or the Hausa language-speaking movie sector. We gathered that the actors/actresses who in real life drive fancy cars, live in their own houses, dress in the latest designer clothes, are the privileged ones who have been able to sustain and maintain their celebrity/star status by engaging in private business outside movies like car dealership, party/event planning, boutiques, supermarkets, hair dressing saloons, voice-over on radio/TV adverts, comperes at private and public functions, corporate brand endorsements.

SOURCE: http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/life-beat/shocking-earnings-of-yoruba-movie-stars/

Shey una wan dey bobo us ni? SMH

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