Funke Akindele Snubs Toyin Abraham at ‘The Return of Arinzo’ Premiere in Lagos, Video Sparks Reactions
Nollywood actress Funke Akindele appeared to snub fellow actress Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi on Sunday during the premiere of The Return of Arinzo in Lagos, an event hosted by Iyabo Ojo.
A viral video from the event, obtained by PulseNets, showed Ms Ajeyemi approaching Ms Akindele’s table shortly after greeting Ms Ojo.
She appeared to say “Aunty Funke” in an effort to greet her, but Ms Akindele maintained a stern expression and looked away without any response.
Ms Ajeyemi then exchanged pleasantries with a man seated beside Ms Akindele and seemed to make another attempt, but the actress still did not acknowledge her.
She later turned back to greet Ms Ojo again and also interacted with actress and filmmaker Mercy Aigbe before leaving the table.
The reported tension between both actresses has lingered for years, PulseNets learned.
In 2021, Ms Ajeyemi’s The Ghost and the Tout Too and Ms Akindele’s Omo Ghetto: The Saga were released around the same period, sparking widespread comparisons among fans.
Ms Ajeyemi has consistently dismissed claims of rivalry and has publicly praised Ms Akindele, PulseNets reported.
Despite this, fans continued to fuel speculation, suggesting an underlying feud between the two.
In 2024, Ms Ajeyemi addressed the issue in a social media post, noting that competition within the Yoruba movie industry often becomes exaggerated by gossip, creating unnecessary friction among actors.
By 2025, many believed both actresses had moved past the rumours after they exchanged conversations online and were later seen sharing a light moment at a movie premiere.
Following the latest incident, social media reactions have been divided, with some users defending Ms Akindele’s reaction as authenticity, while others commended Ms Ajeyemi for making the effort to greet her colleague.
One Instagram user, 3riple_banky, said, “If I don’t like you, walahi, I no fit pretend.”
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Another user, seunfunmi_ewa, stated, “What I see in this video is what they call ‘ let’s keep it real’. For her to ignore Toyin here definitely they’re not on talking terms before the premier, so why is she acting? for the camera? Just leave Funke alone.”
“Y’all saying Funke is not a pretender will still be ones to eat Toyin up if she greeted others and ignored Funke,” said phoenix_akonam. “I am glad she tried greeting, and that happened, so that people will not just assume and blame Toyin.”
