‘We Don’t Need to Be Best Friends’ — Omotola Clears Air on Alleged Feud With Genevieve Nnaji
Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has addressed long-standing rumours suggesting a fallout between her and fellow movie star Genevieve Nnaji, dismissing claims of a lingering feud between the two industry icons.
For years, speculation has persisted that both actresses were not on good terms, a narrative that gained traction among fans and entertainment observers. However, speaking during a recent interview on Yanga FM, Omotola debunked the claims, explaining that there was never any personal conflict between them, PulseNets learnt.
Clarifying her position, the actress stressed that cordial professional relationships do not necessarily require close friendships.
“People don’t need to be best friends,” she said, noting that mutual respect and communication were always present.
Omotola further suggested that fans and industry narratives played a major role in fuelling the perceived rivalry.
“Na them start the quarrel before we know say we dey quarrel. So, we have to catch up with the quarrel. There was no quarrel,” she explained.
During the conversation, the interviewer asked whether there was any disagreement that lasted for many years, particularly before the release of the EJ movie. Responding, Omotola maintained that she and Genevieve communicated normally behind the scenes.
“People don’t need to be best friends, but we talked. Like behind film, we dey talk normally,” she told PulseNets.
The actress went on to compare the situation to rivalry narratives often seen in the music industry today, explaining that actresses of their generation were among the first to experience such media-fuelled comparisons.
“You know the same thing that they do with all these music stars now. Na we dem take start all those things that time. Na we be the practice. Wizkid and Davido have taken it to another level, but na we be the first ones,” she said.
Omotola added that competition in the industry naturally created tension, but it was often exaggerated and misinterpreted by the public.
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“We were young, everybody dey do her own thing. You know how the industry is. Them go pitch you against this person, say na this one be the hottest girl, na that one be the hottest girl. Those kind tension go dey normally, but people dey read am as other things,” she explained.
Her comments have once again sparked conversations around celebrity rivalry narratives and how fan speculation often reshapes professional relationships in Nollywood.
