Popular actress and filmmaker Eniola Ajao recently shared a harrowing experience on Nollywood on Radio, a show dedicated to Nigerian cinema.
She revealed the emotional toll that false news online had taken on her mental health, describing how she once nearly poisoned herself in response to a hurtful rumour.
“I almost poisoned myself because there was news about me online that was far from true,” Ajao said. “It was the first time in my life that I faced something so painful. I didn’t eat for seven straight days. People around me can testify – I didn’t go anywhere.”
At the time, she was in the midst of planning her next film, a process that became increasingly difficult due to her emotional state. “My sisters were calling, telling me, ‘You have to do this for yourself. You don’t have to poison yourself.’ My son was reaching out to everyone, saying I was struggling with this lie online,” she shared.
The actress added, “I don’t even want to remember those things, honestly”, she recounted on the show.