Nigerian actress and producer Funke Akindele has shared a deeply personal story about how online bullying affected her mental health and led her to seek therapy.
Speaking on the Chude Live Conversation Show on Sunday, the filmmaker revealed that she was targeted by a viral video in which a group of women mocked her for not having a husband. The video, along with numerous online posts ridiculing her personal life, left a deep emotional impact on the celebrated filmmaker.
She said:
“There was a video on social media that some women mocked me that I don’t have a husband.
My God. I see all the insults on social media. I see all the posts that show how I left one husband for another one.
I cried, cried, and cried. I just told myself, you need to speak to someone about this. You can’t continue like this.
I told myself that I needed to speak, I reached out, and I started speaking. After then, I felt better. Things I couldn’t tell people out there. I spoke to my therapist and I was better.
So, I want to advise you out there. It’s very important for you to speak up. You need it. You can’t take everything. I’m a very strong person now. I have that strength to face any challenges in life.
After the whole blackmailing, I got tougher. I started putting the story about my life into writing, even though I almost lost it mentally, but I used the mockery to produce a film.”
Now stronger and more self-aware, the actress says therapy helped her find clarity and peace. She turned her pain into power, using her experiences as inspiration to create a film based on her personal journey.
Her candidness has been widely praised, with many fans commending her for shedding light on the emotional toll of online bullying and the importance of mental health awareness.
